Flourishing Love
by ren-shika-inu15
Summary: Sequel to 'Blooming Love' Shikamaru and Yumi's relationship is growing and changing. What will their future hold?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note-Hello again, everyone! I'm so glad to be back with the sequel to **_**Blooming Love.**_** This one is, as you've most likely noticed, called **_**Flourishing Love.**_** I hope all my returning readers like this one as much as they did the first. Also, this is in the same layout as the first. Yumi chapters are odd and Shika's are even. And it's kinda short… On to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own any characters but my own. *grumbles incoherently***

Chapter 1

Shikamaru and I had been living together for a couple of months and everything was perfect. The first few weeks had been kind of funny. Shikamaru, although we'd shared a bed before, insisted on sleeping on the couch. Every night, after Shika had fallen asleep, I'd sneak out to the living room and curl up next to him on the couch. After I begged and pleaded, he finally gave in.

One night, after I'd crawled into bed after Shika, I lay down beside him and he wrapped his arms around me. I nuzzled my face into his neck and let out a contented sigh. He gently tilted my head to kiss me. After that, I put my face back into his neck and started to randomly place soft kisses. He tensed up and took his arms from around me. I watched as he stood up and started to leave the room, stopping at the door. He tilted his head forward, his hair falling in his face and his back muscles tensing.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch tonight. By myself," he said quietly. I only watched as he closed the door. Then, I curled up and cried myself to sleep, trying to figure out what I'd done wrong.

* * *

><p>I got up the next morning and found a note on the kitchen table. It said:<p>

_Went for a walk._

_-Shikamaru_

I almost went back to bed to cry, but I had to go work with Kimi and Hiro. I put on my ninja gear and left the apartment.

**A/N-Well, there you go! I hope you like the start! Read and Review! Thanks!**

**ren-shika-inu15**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note- I'm back! Yes, dear readers, it's true. Haha. I did not fall off the face of the earth. I have no internet at my house so I'm stuck using my school's computers and my town library's. It totally sucks. Also, I lost my notebook with all my FanFics in it and I just recently found it. It may be kinda short. Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm back with another chapter. Onwards!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any **_**Naruto**_** characters. Only my own. **

**Warning: Some innuendos. Don't worry. Nothing real bad.**

**Chapter 2**

I walked out of the bedroom and started pacing around the living room. I ran my fingers through my hair. Those soft little kisses…Kami! She'd done that a million times before and I had no idea why it was affecting me now. I heard a noise come from the bedroom and I stopped pacing. I poked my head inside and what I saw made me feel horrible. Yumi was curled up in the middle of our futon, crying quietly in her sleep. I let my head hit the wall softly.

_'Kami…I guess I should get some sleep…' _

I got a blanket and lay down on the couch, hoping that I'd get a little sleep.

* * *

><p>I woke up before Yumi the next morning and left her a note saying that I went for a walk. As I was walking through the village I happened to walk by the flower shop that Ino helped her parents run. I decided I'd stop in and get some flowers for Yumi. I walked inside, the bell on the door tinkling above my head.<p>

"Be there in a minute!" I heard Ino yell from the back.

"Take your time, Ino," I called back. I walked around the shop looking for Yumi's favorite flowers; red and pink tulips. Ino walked out and smiled at me.

"Hey, Shikamaru! How's everything with you and Yumi? I haven't really seen either of you since you moved in together," she said. I scratched the back of my neck in a nervous gesture. She cocked an eyebrow.

"Actually, that's part of the reason I'm here. We had an…issue last night. I upset her and now I feel terrible. I thought I'd come in and get some flowers to apologize." Ino frowned at me and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What did you do?" she asked. I gave her a glare.

"It's more of a private thing. I'd really rather not say." She held her hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay. So what kind of flowers are you looking for?"

"Yumi's favorite flowers are red and pink tulips. Do you think you can make a bouquet with those?" I asked. Ino smiled and nodded.

"Not a problem! If you come back in about an hour, it'll be finished," she replied. I thanked her and left the flower shop.

* * *

><p>I had a day off so I decided to take a nap. I found a tree that looked like it would hide me and I climbed up. I sat down and started to doze off. As I was napping I heard someone call my name.<p>

_'Ahh…I'll just ignore them. I'm tired and I don't care who it is,'_ I thought. I heard my name again, louder this time.

"Shika! Shika, are you here?" My eyes shot open when I realized who was calling me.

"Maybe he's not here, onee-chan," I heard Kimi say. I sat up and looked down.

"Up there, onee-chan!" Hiro yelled. Yumi looked up and I smiled down at her. I jumped down from the tree and stood up, stretching.

"We've been looking all over for you. Kimi and Hiro wanted you to teach them a jutsu or something," she said. I yawned and rubbed my neck.

"Sure. I can do that," I told them.

"Yay!" the kids shouted. Yumi smiled at me.

"Hmm, let me see. You know how your clan is naturally fast and has special genjutsu?" I asked. They both nodded. "Those genjutsu are called Kekei Genkai. Those are bloodline traits. The Nara clan has some too. We control shadows. Do you want to see?"

"Yeah!" I made some hand signs and stretched my shadow out to connect with theirs.

"Nii-san, why can't I move?" Kimi asked.

"That's part of my jutsu. I can control other people using their shadows. Watch," I replied. I lifted my left arm and so did Kimi and Hiro. I took a step toward them and they took a step toward me.

"Cool!" they said together. I pulled my shadow back and, when Yumi wasn't paying attention, I slid my shadow across the ground and attached it to hers. I forced her to walk to me and I leaned my forehead against hers.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Can we talk about this later? When they aren't here?" she asked quietly. I frowned.

"Just let me know if you're okay. I know I upset you and I'll explain why later. I just want to know if you're fine," I whispered. A small smile graced her features.

"It's okay. I just don't know what I did wrong," she replied. I released the jutsu and pulled away, rubbing my face with my hand.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It…it was-" Yumi cut me off mid-sentence.

"Shh. You can tell me later." She pressed her lips to mine and I relaxed as we kissed.

"Ewww!" the kids yelled, giggling. Yumi pulled away and laughed. I remembered what time it was and I knew I needed to go.

"Yumi, I've got an errand that I've got to take care of. I'll see you back home." I gave her a quick kiss and left.

**A/N-Well, there it is. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**ren-shika-inu15**


	3. Chapter 3

**No Author's Note.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own **_**Naruto.**_

**Warnings: Um…how should I put this…I guess I'll just say innuendo again.** **Still fluffy!**

Chapter 3

I watched as Shikamaru left to go take care of his errand. I was curious about what he was doing, but I let it go. I was just glad that I hadn't done anything wrong. I heard Hiro grumble and I looked over at him.

"What's wrong, Hiro?" I asked he looked up at me while holding his stomach.

"My belly's growling and I'm really hungry," he replied. My eyes widened.

"Oh no! I was supposed to have you two back to your houses by lunch time!" I had Hiro hop on my back and I held Kimi in my arms. I ran as fast as I could through the village, speeding past Neji and Tenten as they were walking together. By the time I dropped off Kimi and Hiro I was worn out. While I was at the compound I decided to go visit my mom and dad. I knocked on the door and Shiro answered.

"Hey, Yumi! I haven't seen you for a while!" he shouted as he pulled me into a big hug. I laughed and hugged him back.

"It's good to see you, too, Shiro. May I come in?"

"Of course. Jeez, do you think I'd really leave you standing out here?" he said with a laugh. I walked into the house and into the living room. My mother walked up to me and gave me a smothering hug.

"Oh, Yumi! It's been a while. What have you that Nara boy been up to?" she asked with a smile. I blushed.

"Mom!" I said as she and Shiro laughed. She patted my shoulder.

"I was only joking. So how have you been?" she asked, leading me farther into the living room. We sat down and Shiro brought in some tea.

"I've been really great. So busy though. I'm working as a temporary teacher for the younger kids at the Academy," I replied.

"That's great! Are Kimi and Hiro in your class?" Mom asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. I love being able to teach their class. Kimi, Hiro, and the other kids have even said that they like me better than their actual teacher," I said with a laugh. "Where's dad?"

"Right here," my dad said, walking into the living room. I stood up and he hugged me. "So you're working at the Academy right now?"

"Yeah. I really enjoy working with the younger kids. Plus, I don't have as many papers to grade as Shikamaru does," I replied. He laughed.

"Have you had lunch yet?" my mom asked. I shook my head. "Would you like to stay and eat?"

"I'd love to, but I'm gonna go home. I want to make lunch for Shikamaru. He had an errand to run so hopefully I can get home before he does." I hugged them, said goodbye, and left.

As I was walking home, I kept thinking about the night before. I really didn't know what had gone wrong. I was hoping we would talk about it and get it all figured out. While I was lost in thought, I bumped into someone and I fell.

"I'm sorry. I need to pay more attention to where I'm going," I apologized.

"No problem," the person said. They held out their hand and helped me up. I looked at them and almost passed out. In front of me stood a member of the Akatsuki. He looked like a fish!Well, a shark to be exact. He gave me a sinister smile as I let go of his hand.

"U-uh, t-thank you. I-I have to go." I ran as fast as I could back to the apartment. I opened the door and gasped at what I saw. Shikamaru was standing in the kitchen holding a bouquet of red and pink tulips. On the table were two bowls filled with ramen. It may not seem like much to most people, but to me it meant more than anything he could have said. He walked up to me and handed me the flowers.

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said. All I could do was nod as he pulled me to his chest.

"I-it's ok," I whispered. I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. "What happened though?"

"I…when you were kissing me last night when we went to bed, I kind of panicked because…" He stopped mid-sentence and I saw a blush rise on his cheeks. I tried not to, but I couldn't help but laugh. All he did was stare at me.

"I'm sorry. I'm not meaning to laugh, but that's why you got up and lift like that? Because I started to turn you on?" I asked, still laughing. His eyes widened for a bit and then he glared.

"I really don't think it's that funny. I didn't want to do anything that would make you mad at me," he replied. I stopped laughing when I realized that he was really upset.

"Hey, I wasn't making fun of you or anything." I slipped my hands into his. "I'm your girlfriend. I'm supposed to do that. If I didn't, it'd mean there was something wrong. Let's eat our lunch, okay?" I smiled up at him and he smiled back.

"Well, that was a drag. We went through all that over something that wasn't a big deal." I laughed as we sat at the table. We ate our lunch quietly and right before we finished I decided to bring up the person I saw in the street.

"Um…Shikamaru, can I tell you something?" He nodded. "I…I think I saw I member of the Akatsuki in the street today." He stared at me.

"Are you sure?"

"He was wearing a black coat with red clouds on it."

"Damnit. We have to tell Lady Tsunade. They may be planning on attacking. Or they're after Naruto. Either way, we need to go," he said as he stood up. I got up and followed him out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note- I love Spring Break! I may not go anywhere but being able to work on my stories and post more chapters totally makes up for not going on an actual vacation. Trust me when I say sitting in the library typing is a lot better than sitting in the cold at a softball field freezing your butt off! Sorry, I'm rambling. Anyway, just to warn you this chapter is almost a complete overlap of the 3****rd**** chapter. Only from Shikamaru's view. Sorry about that. I didn't mean for it to happen like that. Anywho, I hope you all enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I still do not own **_**Naruto**_**…**

Chapter 4

I got back to the apartment and put Yumi's flowers on the kitchen table. Then, I went searching through the kitchen for ramen ingredients. I figured I'd make Yumi lunch to go with the flowers. I really hoped that making the same food that was part of the beginning of our relationship would help smooth things out. I found what I needed and got the ramen ready. I had just set the two bowls on the table and picked up Yumi's flowers when the door opened. Yumi say me and gasped. I walked up to here and gave her the flowers.

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," I told her as I pulled her to me. Kami, she smelled really good.

"I-it's okay," she whispered. She put her arms around me. "What happened though?" I had a minor panic attack in my head when she said this. I quickly explained myself. I could feel it as my face got warmer. Suddenly, she started to laugh. I just stared. "I'm sorry. I'm not meaning to laugh, but that's really why you got up and left like that? Because I started to turn you on?" She was still laughing. I shot her a glare.

"I really don't think it's that funny. I didn't want to do anything that would make you mad," I answered. She stopped laughing.

"Hey, I wasn't making fun of you or anything." I felt her small hands slide into mine. "I'm your girlfriend. I'm supposed to do that. If I didn't, it'd mean there was something wrong."

After that we sat down to eat. We were both almost finished when Yumi spoke.

"Um…Shikamaru, can I tell you something?" I knew it was important because she hardly ever called me by my full name anymore. I nodded. "I…I think I saw a member of the Akatsuki in the street today." I just stared at her for a minute.

"Are you sure?"  
>"He was wearing a black coat with red clouds on it."<p>

"Damnit. We have to tell Lady Tsunade. They may be planning on attacking. Or they're looking for Naruto. Either way, we need to go," I said, standing up. Yumi stood up with me and we left.

* * *

><p>We arrived at Lady Tsunade's office and quickly informed her of the situation.<p>

"Damn! This is not good. Shizune!" Shizune ran into the room.

"Yes, m'lady?" she asked as she bowed.

"Gather some of our strongest jonin and scatter them throughout the village. Tell them to be on the lookout for Akatsuki," Tsunade ordered. Suddenly, a bird flew in through the open window. It had a message attached to its leg. The Hokage quickly pulled the paper off and read the message aloud. "'We did not find what we were searching for. We have left this village…for now. I'm sure we will return soon. –The Akatsuki'. Shizune, send out some men to make sure the village is clear. Shikamaru, Yumiko, thank you and keep on the lookout," she said.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," the three of us said in unison. We all left and Yumi and I headed home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note-Yay! I've cranked out two chapters in one day! I think I deserve a cookie or something…Anyway, big things happen in this chapter so be ready! Also, there's a bit of a time skip in this one. It's only a few months. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it…**

Chapter 5

It turned out that the Akatsuki really were gone for now. Things actually stayed that way for a few months, too. One day, Shika came into my classroom while the kids were outside.

"Hey, Beautiful." I looked up and saw him standing behind me. I leaned back and he pressed a soft loving kiss to my lips.

"What's up, Shika?" I asked. He sat down on the edge of my desk.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to know if you wanted to get some barbecue with a few people tonight. Sound good?" I thought about it.

"Sure. I've got some papers to grade but going out sounds fun. What time are we going?" he scratched the back of his neck.

"Actually, I'll be there earlier to make sure it's okay with the owner to have all our people there. Do you still want to go?" he asked.

"Of course!" A bright smile firmly planted itself on his face. I stared at him wide-eyed because he didn't normally smile like that.

"I'll see you at 8 then. I love you, Yumi." He bent down and gave me a long deep kiss before walking out the door. I sat there with my fingers gently touched to my lips, the feeling of that kiss lingering.

"What in the world has gotten into Shika?"

* * *

><p>That night I walked into the barbecue place to find all my family and friends there. Shika's family was there too. Shika was talking to his dad but he turned when he heard the door open.<p>

"Yumi!" I walked up to him and gave him a big smile.

"Hi, Shika. Hello, Shikaku-san," I said. They smiled.

"It's been a while since I've seen you, Yumi. No need to be such a stranger," he replied as he pulled me into a big bear hug. I blushed deeply. I turned to Shika when his dad released me.

"So what's with having all these people here? I thought you said a few people?" I saw his face turn pink. Everyone sat down and got quiet as he began to speak.

"There's a reason all these people are here. Yumi, we've been dating for about a year and we've been living together most of that time. Not to mention that I've loved you since we were little kids." He got down on one knee and I gasped. "I love you and I always want to protect you. Will you marry me?" he asked, pulling a ring out of his pocket. Tears started to run down my face as everyone waited for my answer.

"Yes. Of course I'll marry you, Shikamaru," I said quietly. He stood up and wrapped his arms around me as our family and friends cheered. He kissed me and put the ring on my finger.

"Free barbecue for the happy couple!" yelled out the owner. I laughed and leaned against Shika. We sat down at a table and started to eat. All of a sudden, the door to the restaurant flew open and Shizune stood in the doorway with a list in her hands.

"Shikamaru and Shikaku Nara, Ino and Inoichi Yamanaka, Choji and Choza Akamichi, Yumimaro Tagawa, Asuma Sarutobi, Miroki Takahashi, Kokuru Sato, Jishiru Suzuki, Kiba, Hana and Tsume Inuzuka, and Shino and Shibi Aburame. You are being summoned to Lady Hokage's office," she announced.

"Yes, Shizune-san," they all said as they stood. I stood up with them.

"What about me?" I asked. I figured that she had my whole team but me so maybe she skipped over my name. She stared at me.

"You are needed at the Academy. The Hokage does not require you," she answered. Shika turned to me.

"It'll be all right. Just stay here and I'll see you later. I love you," he said. He kissed me.

"I love you, too, Shika." With that, he and the others were out the door.

* * *

><p>I went home after spending some more time with my friends and family. I noticed that Shika still wasn't home. I sighed and figured that I'd wait up for him. I went over to the bookshelf that was almost overflowing from all of my and Shika's books. I plucked one from the shelf, grabbed a blanket, and curled up on the couch.<p>

* * *

><p>I must've fallen asleep because I woke up to the lamp being turned off and my body being lifted off the couch.<p>

"Shika?" I asked sleepily. He carried me to the bedroom and gently laid me down on the futon.

"Yeah, it's me. Try to go back to sleep," he answered. I looked up at him.

"You're gonna come to bed, right?" He nodded slowly.

"I'll be in bed in a minute. We'll talk in the morning before I leave." I sat up.

"Leave? Why now?" I asked.

"I told you we'll talk in the morning." He kissed me and made me lay back down. I soon fell into a fitful sleep.

**A/N-Yay! So lots of things happened in this chapter. I really hate to leave it at the little bit of a cliffhanger that I did, but sometimes that's how things work out. Oh well. Don't forget to R&R!**

ren-shika-inu15


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note-So it's been a while once again, but school's out. Hopefully, I can get this finished by the end of summer. It may take longer than the last because I have a job this summer. Oh well. Onward to Chapter 6.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it…**

Chapter 6

The Akatsuki decided to stop being troublesome at least for a few months. I was walking through the village one day when I saw a woman that was only a little older than Yumi and I with her children. She had her little girl in her arms while her son held onto her leg and sucked his thumb. A man who I guessed was her husband walked up to her and kissed her. He picked up his son and smiled brightly at his wife. She smiled back and they walked off hand in hand.

For some reason, it struck something inside me. I pictured Yumi and I having a family of our own. I imagined her sitting on the floor in our apartment playing with a baby with wispy red hair and brown eyes. Before I knew it, my legs had taken me to the nearest jewelry store. I quickly picked out a ring. It was simple with a beautiful stone and a gold band. I was going to ask Yumi to marry me!

* * *

><p>The next day, I went to Yumi's classroom with a plan forming. My students were busy with a test and I knew hers would be outside playing. She had her head bent over her desk so I snuck up behind her.<p>

"Hey, Beautiful." She looked up at me and I kissed her, trying not to get down on my knee right then and there.

"What's up, Shika?" she asked. I perched myself on the edge of her desk and got ready to put my plan into action.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to know if you wanted to get some barbecue with a few people tonight. Sound good?" She sat there thinking about it for a moment.

"Sure. I've got some papers to grade but going out sounds fun. What time are we going?" I scratched the back of my neck nervously.

"Actually, I'll be there earlier to make sure it's okay with the owner to have all our people there. Do you still want to go?" I asked.

"Of course!" I smiled brighter than I ever had before. She stared at me with wide eyes and looked kind of freaked out.

"I'll see you at 8 then. I love you, Yumi." I gave her a deep kiss before I left, willing the rest of the day to go by quickly.

* * *

><p>Everyone was at the restaurant and we were waiting on Yumi to arrive. I was having a deep conversation with my dad.<p>

"Son, are you sure you're ready?" he asked. I nodded.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I weren't 100% sure I wanted to marry her," I replied. He smiled.

"She'll be a great addition to our family. And I'm sure Yumimaro feels the same about you." I heard the door open and turned around quickly.

"Yumi!" She walked up and smiled.

"Hi, Shika. Hello, Shikaku-san," she said. We smiled.

"It's been a while since I've seen you, Yumi. No need to be such a stranger," he replied. He pulled her into a big hug and she blushed a deep red. She turned back to me when he let her go.

"So what's with having all these people here? I thought you said a few people?" I felt my face get warm. Everyone sat down and got quiet as I got ready to talk.

"There's a reason why all these people are here. Yumi, we've been dating for about a year and we've been living together most of that time. Not to mention I've loved you since we were little kids." I got down on my knee and she gasped. "I love you and I always want to protect you. Will you marry me?" I asked as I pulled the ring out of my pocket. She started to cry as I waited for her answer.

"Yes. Of course I'll marry you, Shikamaru," she replied quietly. I stood up and wrapped my arms around her while everyone cheered. I kissed her and slid the ring on her finger.

"Free barbecue for the happy couple!" the owner shouted. Yumi laughed and leaned against my chest. We sat down at a table and started eating. Suddenly, the door opened and Shizune stood in the doorway with a list in her hands.

"Shikamaru and Shikaku Nara, Ino and Inoichi Yamanaka, Choji and Choza Akamichi, Yumimaro Tagawa, Asuma Sarutobi, Miroki Takahashi, Kokuru Sato, Jishiru Suzuki, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame. You are being summoned to Lady Hokage's office," she announced.

"Yes, Shizune-san," we said as we stood. I noticed that Yumi stood up with us.

"What about me?" she asked. Shizune just stared.

"You are needed at the Academy. The Hokage does not require you," she answered. I turned to Yumi.

"It'll be all right. Just stay here and I'll see you later. I love you," I told her and then kissed her.

"I love you, too, Shika." After that I left with the others.

* * *

><p>"I've gotten word that the Akatsuki may be on the move. I don't know if they plan to attack but we must be ready if they do. That's why I'm sending all of you. You're going to tail them for a month and if nothing happens half of you are going to report back here. The other half will stay longer. Do you understand?" the Hokage asked.<p>

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" we all answered. She nodded.

"Good. Now go home and you'll leave early tomorrow morning. Dismissed." We bowed and walked out the door. Just as I was getting ready to turn towards home, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see my dad behind me.

"Are you all right, son?" he asked. I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck.

"I'll be fine. What a drag though. I get engaged and I don't even get to spend any time with her," I replied.

"That's the life of a ninja, Shikamaru. I better get home to tell your mother we're leaving tomorrow. Go home. Spend at least a little time with Yumi." I nodded.

"Thanks, Dad. See you tomorrow," I said. He nodded and walked off. I sighed and headed home myself.

* * *

><p>I walked into the apartment and found Yumi asleep on the couch with an open book in her lap. I gently pulled the book from her hands and returned it to the shelf. Then, I turned off the lamp and picked her up, accidently waking her up.<p>

"Shika?" she asked me sleepily. I carried her to our room and laid her on the bed.

"Yeah, it's me. Try to go back to sleep," I answered. She stared up at me with sleep still clear in her eyes.

"You're gonna come to bed, right?" I nodded slowly.

"I'll be in bed in a minute. We'll talk in the morning before I leave." She sat up quickly.

"Leave? Why now?" she asked with a frantic edge to her voice.

"I told you we'll talk in the morning." I kissed her and gently forced her to lie back down. I stayed where I was till she fell asleep. Then, I got up to take a shower before I went to bed. I stood under the water until it turned cold. I finally got out and slid on some pants, not bothering with a shirt. I climbed into bed and Yumi rolled over to me immediately, almost as if we were made of magnets. I wrapped my arms around her and her body relaxed instantly. I buried my face in her hair and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>I tried to slip out of bed without waking Yumi but it didn't work. Just as I was standing up to stretch, I heard Yumi's quiet yawn.<p>

"Shika, are you leaving?" she asked quietly.

"I'm getting ready to go. But I wouldn't leave without explaining what's going on like I promised. I was just going to let you sleep longer," I replied.

"Oh, ok." I bent down and kissed her softly. "I'll go make us breakfast before you go," she added. She got up and left the room. I sighed and gathered up everything I needed after I got dressed. I walked out into the kitchen and Yumi was putting two bowls of rice on the table. I sat down and she sat across from me. "So what's going on?" she asked. I took a bite of my rice before I answered.

"The Akatsuki may be on the move. Lady Tsunade said that we'll tail them for a month and if nothing happens half of us will report back to her. I don't know for sure how long I'll be gone. It'll be at least a month," I explained. She frowned.

"Am I weak, Shikamaru?" she asked suddenly. I looked at her, confused.

"What?"

"Am I weak?"

"Of course not. What brought this up?" I asked. The slight anger in her eyes was unusual.

"If I'm not weak, then how come I haven't been on a mission in months? Finally something big comes along and I get told to stay in the village again! It's killing me, Shikamaru!" She stood up fast enough to knock her chair over. "Am I just supposed to sit here and worry every time you leave without me? For Kami's sake, I'm a _ninja of the Hidden Leaf_! Why can't I help protect my village?" I looked into her eyes as tears ran down her face. She started pacing around the kitchen. "Why won't they let me help?" She sank to her knees. "Why?" she whimpered. I walked over and knelt beside her. I cupped her chin in my hand and forced her to look at me.

"You are helping. You're bringing up another generation of ninja. Besides, I think Tsunade just doesn't want to find a sub for a sub." I wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Just remember that you are strong. You're one of the strongest people I know. I'm really sorry, but I've gotta go…" She sniffled once and smiled at me.

"I'll go to the gate with you," she said as she stood. I got up and we headed to the gate.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note-Well, I've finally found some time to type. Yay for four day weeks at work! Anyway, on with the newest chapter!**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I still don't own it…**

Chapter 7

I was so frustrated! I really wanted to go on this mission. But, that was still no reason for the outburst I'd had in the kitchen. I looked over at Shika as we walked. He noticed that I was looking at him and he slid his hand into mine.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I sighed and looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted. I just don't want you to leave without me. Especially after yesterday," I explained. He smiled gently.

"It's okay. I really don't want to leave either. But we've all got to do things we don't want to." We'd arrived at the gate and everyone was waiting. We stopped and Shika wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him. "I have an idea. How about we get married as soon as everyone gets back? That way we can have all our family and friends there. You'll have Hinata and Tenten here to help with everything and to keep you occupied. Does that sound okay?" he asked. I smiled up at him.

"That sounds great," I answered. I thought of something at that moment. I reached into my shirt to pull out my clan necklace. I took it off; careful to make sure it didn't get caught on my kunai necklace. "This mission is going to be even longer than the last Akatsuki one. Take this with you again and remember the deal that goes with it." He leaned down and I put it around his neck.

"Protect it and bring it back. Not a problem," he replied with a smile. He leaned down and caught my lips in a breath-taking kiss. "I promise." I looked at him and saw my vision get blurry with tears. He chuckled softly and wiped away one that ran down my cheek. I felt my heart ache at the thought that that would be the last time I would hear that laugh for a while. Shika was leaning in again when someone cleared their throat. We separated and I walked over to my dad, past a sniffling Tenten held lovingly to Neji's chest. I looked up at him.

"We'll be back soon, kiddo. Keep your mother company," he said. I nodded.

"I will, Dad. You, Shika, and the others be careful, okay?" He laughed.

"Of course we will! We'll be fine." He pulled me into a hug and squeezed tightly.

"Dad…can't…breathe!" I choked out. He let go and chuckled.

"Sorry about that. We'll be back as soon as we can, Yumi." I smiled.

"I know, Dad. You better get going." He nodded and left with the others. Tenten had walked over and we stood together, watching them leave. I turned to her when they were out of sight.

"Let's go get Hinata. We've got a wedding to plan."

* * *

><p>The first week flew by. Between working at the Academy, training with Kimi and Hiro, and planning the wedding, I was exhausted. Tenten stayed over a lot. There were a lot of mornings with one of us passed out on the couch and the other asleep with her head on the coffee table. It did keep my mind off of Shika and Tenten's off of Neji.<p>

One day, we woke up to a knock on the door. Tenten groaned when I accidently kicked her on my way to the door. I opened it to find Kimi and Hiro there with my mother.

"Are we going to train today, onee-chan?" Kimi asked. I looked at the clock on the wall. My eyes widened when I saw it was almost 3 o'clock.

"Oh, Kami! I'm sorry, kids. I'll be ready in a minute," I exclaimed. I ran over to Tenten and shook her. "Wake up! It's 3 in the afternoon. Get up!" She groaned and raised her head.

"Whaa…?" She looked at me, clearly still practically asleep.

"I said it's 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Get up!" Her eyes widened.

"We slept that long? I have a family dinner in an hour! I'll see you later, Yumi!" Tenten gathered her things and flew out the door, past my mom and the kids. I grabbed my equipment and walked out, closing the door. I bent down to Kimi and Hiro.

"I'm really sorry, guys. I was up really late last night. I'll get you ice cream after training to make up for it, okay?" I explained.

"Yay! Ice cream!" they yelled as they tackled me. I hugged them tight before we started to walk to our training area. Kimi and Hiro walked ahead as I hung back with my mom.

"I'm really sorry, Mom. Tenten and I were up late last night working on wedding stuff," I explained. She laughed.

"It's okay. I was just a little surprised when Kimi and Hiro showed up at the house and said that you hadn't picked them up for training," she answered.

"I'm just glad that I didn't have to work today. It's really hard doing all this planning without Shikamaru's opinion. I don't know what he'll like and what he won't," I sighed. She patted my arm gently.

"Honey, I'm really sure that the party part of the wedding isn't what he's worried about. I've seen the way that boy looks at you. You can tell that all he cares about is being with you." I smiled tiredly.

"Thanks, Mom." We'd arrived at the training grounds and my mom went home. I got Kimi and Hiro working on a speed drill and I went to sit against a tree. Next thing I knew, I was asleep and dreaming of Shikamaru…

* * *

><p><em>I opened my eyes to see Shika crouching in front of me. <em>

_ "Shika?" I asked excitedly. I reached to him as he nodded. He took my hand and pressed it to his cheek. I could feel a little bit of stubble there. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I pulled him to me, my arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He chuckled. I reveled in that beautiful deep laugh. He laid us down in the grass and I cuddled close to him. "Say something, Shika," I begged. I wanted so badly to hear his voice. He opened mouth but what came out was a young girl's voice. _

_ "Onee-chan!" he said. I looked at him, confused. "Wake up, onee-chan!" _ My eyes shot open and Kimi stood in front of me with Hiro beside her. I rubbed my eyes.

"Are you okay, onee-chan? We thought you were dead," Hiro said. I laughed.

"I'm fine. Just really tired. Did you finish the drill?" They nodded enthusiastically.

"I beat Kimi three times!" Hiro boasted. She punched him in the arm "Ow!"

"I told you rubbing it in isn't nice!" she scolded. I shook my head.

"Punching Hiro isn't going to make it better, Kimi. You should apologize." She looked at the ground.

"Sorry, onee-chan. Sorry, Hiro." She wrapped her arms around him in an apologetic hug. Hiro turned bright red and I laughed. "Can we go see nii-san?" I frowned slightly.

"Nii-san is on a very important mission right now. He's going to be gone for a while," I explained. Her face dropped. "How about we go get that ice cream now?" That perked her right up.

"Yeah!" Both of them jumped up and down excitedly. I got up and they each grabbed one of my hands. They tugged me down the street toward the ice cream shop. When we got there, the kids told the owner what they wanted.

"I want chocolate!" Hiro said.

"I want chocolate, too!" Kimi added.

"Why do you always have to get what I get? You're such a copy cat!" Hiro complained. I saw tears well up in Kimi's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hiro. I won't be like you anymore," she replied quietly. "I want strawberry instead."

"What do you two say?" I gently scolded.

"Please," they replied together. Hiro made an angry face.

"Now you have to answer at the same time as me? You're so annoying, Kimi!" he said. Kimi burst into tears and latched onto my leg. I bent down and picked her up. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. The owner of the shop handed Hiro his ice cream and I mouthed the words "Give me a minute" to her. She nodded and I walked to the other side of the shop. I put Kimi down and wiped her eyes.

"Hiro doesn't like me anymore!" she cried.

"I'm sure he still likes you, sweetie. He's just not being very nice. Don't worry. I'm going to find out why. You just stay here, okay?" She nodded. I walked over to Hiro and bent down.

"Okay, little man, you've got some explaining to do. Why are you being to mean to Kimi?" I asked. He stared at me.

"She was mean to me first. She hit me," he replied.

"She apologized for it." He frowned.

"But it hurt my feelings…She didn't apologize for that."

"Did you tell her it hurt your feelings?" He looked at the floor.

"No…"

"You should go tell her that. Then, you can apologize to each other," I suggested. He smiled at me and looked over at Kimi.

"Okay!" He ran over to Kimi. Her face lit up and I saw her say something back to him. Then, he shocked us both. He leaned in and pressed a quick peck to Kimi's cheek. He turned around, his little face pink. He walked up to the counter and got the owner's attention.

"Kimi wants chocolate, too, please," he said shyly. She got the ice cream and handed it to Hiro. He quickly took it over to Kimi and she took it from him happily. I walked up to the counter so I could pay.

"Your children are so cute," the woman said with a smile. I paid her and returned her smile.

"Oh no. They aren't mine. I just look after them from time to time," I corrected politely.

"Oh, my mistake. They are very adorable though." She gave me my change and we bowed to each other. After that, Kimi, Hiro, and I started out walk back towards the compound. I dropped off Hiro first and gave him a big hug.

"Thank you for apologizing, Hiro," I whispered. He nodded.

"Bye, onee-chan. Bye, Kimi." Kimi gave him a big hug too. Then, I took her home and she hugged me.

"Thank you for making Hiro and I friends again, onee-chan. It made me really happy," she said. I smiled at her.

"No problem. I'll see you later. Be good," I replied. We hugged again and she ran into the house. I was walking back to the apartment when I ran into Hinata.

"Hey, Yumi," she said in her normal quiet voice.

"Oh, hey, Hinata. Do you want to come back to the apartment with me? I could use my maid of honor's help with a few things," I replied.

"Sure." With that, we headed to the apartment.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks went by pretty quickly. Soon it was the day that the first half of the group would return home. Tenten, Hinata, and I were standing at the gate, awaiting their return. Tenten and I could barely stand still as we hoped Neji and Shika would return with them. Ino was the first one through the gate. The others soon followed her. Ino ran up and hugged the three of us. Tenten kept glancing around the others.<p>

"Neji and Shikamaru did not return with us," a voice said. We turned to see Shino next to us. "All of the jonin plus Shikamaru had to stay. And, although it is against his best interest, Naruto is with them as well."

"N-naruto is with them?" Hinata asked. "I-I thought he was s-still training…"

"We ran into him on our way to the Akatsuki hideout. Instead of coming back to the village, he stuck with us," Kiba said as he walked up.

"How long are they going to be gone?" Tenten asked.

"We don't know," Kiba answered. Tenten, Hinata, and I all drooped.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon," Ino said. I looked at the other three girls.

"I'm going home. I'd really appreciate it if you guys came too," I said. They nodded and we left.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note- Alrighty, here we go! I've got a new and exciting chapter that I hope you will enjoy. The Akatsuki decide to make another appearance. Don't forget to R&R! **

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it.**

Chapter 8

The month had gone by kind of quick. It was still a drag, though. We basically watched the Akatsuki during that time. At the moment, all the older ninja were off in a huddle having a deep discussion. That left Naruto, Neji, and I doing nothing. I was just sitting, toying with Yumi's necklace.

"What's that, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked. I showed it to him.

"Isn't that the Tagawa clan's crest?" Neji said. I nodded.

"It's Yumi's. She told me to protect it and bring it back. Just like the last Akatsuki mission I went on," I explained.

"So why do you have it?" Naruto asked.

"Because they're together, you idiot," Neji answered.

"Watch it, Hyuga," Naruto replied darkly.

"Relax, guys," I injected. "I say we're more than _just _together. When we get back, I'd like both of you to be groomsmen." Naruto stared at me, shocked.

"You and Yumi are getting married?" he asked, the pitch of his voice rising. I nodded. "That's awesome! I wouldn't miss it! You really want me to be a groomsman?" I nodded again. "Even more awesome!"

"What about you, Neji?" He nodded.

"I believe that I would be going even if I did not wish to. Tenten would make me. So as Naruto said, I wouldn't miss it. Also, I accept. It would be an honor to be a groomsman, Shikamaru." I turned to Naruto.

"Hinata is Yumi's maid of honor," I told him. His cheeks instantly got red. I laughed and turned to Neji. "Tenten is a bridesmaid, too." He only nodded, but I saw his cheeks get pink.

"Naruto! We need to speak to you!" I heard Inoichi call.

"Be right back, guys," he said as he got up and walked over.

"I'll need to give my thanks to Yumi when we return," Neji said. I looked at him, a bit confused. "The reason Tenten and I are together is because of her. Tenten told me that she convinced her to tell me her feelings. She didn't want to because she feared my rejection. And it seems that the way I act would have made that worse. But I am very grateful. To be honest, I love Tenten. Very much. And I have your fiancée to thank for it," he explained.

"Congrats, Neji," Naruto said. Neji flushed a bright red.

"You were not supposed to hear that, Uzumaki," Neji growled. Naruto shrugged as he sat down.

"Shikamaru! Neji!" my dad called. We got up and walked over to the older men.

"What is it, Dad?" I asked. He rubbed a hand over his tired face.

"Naruto refuses to return to the village. He says he would rather help here than go home and do nothing. Do you two think you can convince him to leave?" he explained. Neji shook his head.

"Once Uzumaki puts him mind to something, he will stay with it," he answered. Yumimaro stared at us.

"So you're saying he's not leaving. Not even if you explain that if he gets captured, it could mean the end of the village?" Yumimaro asked. We both shook our heads.

"I guess he's staying," Choza said. "It's getting late. Shikaku, Inoichi, and I will be on watch. The rest of you, get some sleep."

After that, I walked over to a somewhat isolated area and laid out my bedroll. Just as I lay down, Yumi's dad came and sat beside me. I sat back up.

"Is there something you need, Tagawa-san?" I asked politely.

"I'd just like to talk to you. It's never easy for a father to give away his daughter. Especially when she is his only child. But you, my boy, have made it much easier for me. I've watched my daughter grow up. I've seen how much she cares for and loves you. I know you will take good care of her. So thank you, Shikamaru," he told me.

"I swear on my life that I will," I said. He smiled and patted me on the back.

"Of course you will. Now get some rest," he replied. He got up and walked back towards the others.

* * *

><p>Nothing happened for a long time. It seemed like the Akatsuki weren't going to do anything. That is, until one night when I felt hands slithering around my throat. Luckily, I had a kunai tucked in my bedroll. I sliced across the hands and jumped up just in time to see them slither back into the ground.<p>

"We're under attack!" I yelled. Everybody, even the ones who had been asleep, sprang into action. Through all the commotion, I came face to face with Itachi Uchiha.

"Ah, a Nara. How interesting," he said. I made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Next thing I knew, he was in front of me holding a kunai to Yumi's throat and I was frozen in place by his jutsu. I wanted to run and strangle him with my bare hands for even trying to use Yumi to trick me. I took a deep breath to calm down.

'_Trying to show me my greatest fear, huh? Too bad I already know your tricks too well,' _I thought. He couldn't fool me into to thinking that Yumi wasn't safe at home in the village. _'Damnit. This genjutsu is too strong for me to break. No snapping a finger like the last time I was stuck like this.' _Suddenly, Yumimaro was beside me.

"Your tricks won't work, Itachi. This boy is too smart. You and your band of misfits might as well go," he told the sharingan user.

"Always barking orders, huh, sensei?" Itachi sneered back.

"I am no longer your sensei. That time ended long ago." The image of Yumi disappeared but I was still frozen.

"Very true, Yumimaro. I was weak then, but my power now far surpasses you own. Time to die!" Itachi lunged at Yumimaro and the genjutsu was broken. I saw the others fighting around me and I noticed that Yumimaro wasn't moving. I couldn't let Yumi lose her dad. I jumped in front of him with my kunai up to block Itachi's. There was a loud 'clang' as we clashed.

"You are in way, Nara!" Itachi yelled.

"Your fight is with me, not him," I replied calmly. I shoved him back with enough force to get him on one knee. He got up and came right back at me. I put my kunai up to block again but he grabbed my arm. There was enough power in his grip that I heard the bones crack and I bit back a cry of pain. He threw me through the air and I smacked into a tree. I could hear and feel some of my ribs break. I slid down the tree and hit the ground. By some miracle, I managed to get back up. It hurt to breathe and my broken arm hung limply at my side.

"How pathetic," Itachi remarked. He started to come at me but was soon frozen in place. I looked over and saw my dad with his shadow attached to Itachi's. Suddenly, Itachi started to scream. My dad let him fall to the ground as he convulsed in pain. Yumimaro was standing next to my dad, his hands shaped in a sign that I'd seen Yumi use before.

"This fight is over!" Yumimaro called out and soon all the Akatsuki were in convulsions. Itachi stopped first. I was standing above him with a good grip on the collar of his coat.

"What do you want with the Leaf Village?" I asked sharply.

"We don't want anything with that puny village. We want the boy with Nine Tails," he spat back.

"Itachi! There is no reason to reveal our plans! We are not defeated!" one of the Akatsuki yelled.

"Silence, Deidara! They will not be able to defeat us when the time comes. I am taking mercy on them and letting them know their fate," he replied. Then, he looked back to me. "We will collect the other jinchuriki. Then, we will be back for the boy and once we have him, we will destroy the Leaf Village as well as the others. The Akatsuki will reign supreme with Lord Pein as ruler of the new shinobi world. And all of you, every last one, will perish beneath us," he finished. Suddenly, he was gone and the other Akatsuki members were too.

"Transportation jutsu," I said to myself. I stood up and pain shot through my arm and torso. I felt myself falling and then the world went black.

* * *

><p>When I came to, I got a face full of spiky blond hair. I started to lean back and instantly regretted it. I let out a grunt of pain and Naruto turned his head.<p>

"Hey, Shikamaru! You're finally awake. Don't worry; we aren't very far from the village. You'll be at the hospital soon," he said.

"Why are you carrying me on your back? I can run on my own," I replied. He shook his head.

"Your dad said not to let you down. He carried you most of the way. The jonin are going straight to Granny Tsunade while I take you to the hospital."

"I'll be going with you as well," I heard Neji say. I turned my head to look at him.

"Could you go let Yumi know that we're back and where I am?" I asked him.

"Of course," he answered.

"Thanks, Neji."

"Hey, look! I can see the gate," Naruto shouted. I looked up over his head and saw the village getting closer and closer. I was getting closer to home and closer to Yumi.

* * *

><p>"Ouch. Sakura, that hurts," I complained. She kept wrapping the bandages around my ribs.<p>

"Be quiet, Shikamaru. I have to do this so the cracks and the broken ribs will heal right," she replied.

"Does it have to be so tight?"

"Yes." The door to the examination room opened and Yumi stood in the doorway with Tenten and Neji. She walked over to the examination table as Sakura finished wrapping my ribs.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," she replied quietly. She took my hand as Sakura put a sling on my broken arm. "C-can I hug you?" she asked.

"I may be a little broken but I'm not made of glass," I answered. She carefully wrapped her arms around my middle and hid her face against my bare chest. I could feel her trembling. I looked at the others. "Can we have a minute?" They nodded and left the room. "Your hair's down. That's odd," I said. She looked up at me.

"It's two in the morning. Plus, when Neji said you were at the hospital, I panicked," she answered. I brushed some hair away from her face, bent down, and pressed my lips to hers. I felt her relax as her lips moved against mine. By the time we pulled apart, we were both struggling for breath.

"I've been waiting to do that for two months," I whispered. Her cheeks turned pink.

"Me, too. I've missed you so much, Shika," she whispered back.

"And you can't imagine how much I've missed you." I pulled off her clan necklace and handed it to her. "I brought it back as promised," I added. She smiled.

"Neji said that Naruto came back with you." I nodded.

"He brought me here and then went straight to the Hyuga estate to see Hinata. Although, I'm not sure how well her father's going to like a boy sneaking into his house to see his daughter in the middle of the night," I replied. She laughed.

"Do you think we should tell the others they can come back?" I nodded. She poked her head out the door and the others followed her back in. Sakura got some pills out of a cabinet and handed them to me.

"Take these twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night for pain. And make sure you rest for at least a couple days. Yumi, I need you to make sure the bandages around his ribs stay tight. He needs to limit his showers, too. Try not to take off the sling or the bandages as much as possible. Everything should be healed in a few weeks," she instructed. We both nodded and I got down off the table. Yumi managed to help me get my shirt back on.

"I don't know about you, Yumi, but I'm ready to go home," I said as I took her hand. She smiled up at me.

"Me, too."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note- Another fun-filled chapter coming your way! Lots of things happen in this chapter. Also, I'm almost caught up with my updates. Yay! You're probably thinking 'Why does that matter to me?' Well, my dear readers, that means until I get some more ideas that this may be the last update for a while. Sorry…Anyway, enjoy! R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my characters. **

Chapter 9

I was so happy to have Shika home! We invited Neji and Tenten to stay at the apartment but they declined, saying they were going to stay at the Hyuga estate. Before they left though, Tenten asked about the wedding.

"So do you know when the wedding's going to be now that everyone's back?" she asked. I looked up at Shika. He smiled and shrugged.

"Whatever's fine with Yumi is fine with me," he told her.

"I think I want to give Shika some time to heal before the wedding," I replied.

"Oh, I see," Tenten said as she waggled her eyebrows suggestively. I felt my face start to burn. I also heard Shika mutter 'What a drag' while Neji actually was trying to stifle a laugh. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.

* * *

><p>We got back to the apartment and I made Shika go straight to bed and lay down.<p>

"I'll go make you some tea," I told him after I got him comfortable.

"Don't. I don't want any. I just want you to come here so we can sleep," he replied. He patted my side of the futon. I got under the blankets and turned off the light. I put my arms around his neck and slid one hand up to his ponytail. I pulled out the string and tangled my fingers into that silky raven hair. I pressed my lips to his hard to let him know just how much I'd missed him.

"Wow, Yumi. I hadn't realized that being gone for two months would make you miss me _this _much," he said jokingly. I laughed softly.

"Of course it would. I love you, Shika. And whenever you're far away, I'll always miss you," I replied. I saw him smile in the darkness. He brushed his lips against mine in a gentle loving kiss.

"I love you, too. Now let's get some sleep. I'm exhausted."

"Mm hm." We both happily drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Shika and I didn't get up until noon that day. Luckily, Sakura had made him take his morning pill before we left the hospital. I helped him out of bed and we walked into the kitchen. Shika sat down at the table as I started looking for food. I could feel Shika's eyes following my every move. I turned to face him.<p>

"Am I really that interesting to look at?" I asked teasingly. Shika smirked.

"I was surrounded by other men for two months. I noticed that we aren't that interesting. You, on the other hand, are fascinating," he replied. I laughed and sauntered over to him. I leaned down, putting my lips right beside his ear.

"I find you very interesting," I whispered. I pressed a kiss to his cheek and continued on my search for food. "So how are you feeling?"

'Hungry' was his answer. I laughed again and started getting out the things I needed to make stir-fry.

"So did anything big happen while I was gone?" he asked. I shrugged as I began to cook.

"Kimi and Hiro asked about you a lot. Tenten and Hinata stayed with me most of the time. It would've felt weird if I'd been the only one here."

"I'll have to go visit the kids. And I'm glad you weren't alone." I finished the food and set two plates on the table. Shika dug in almost immediately.

"I'm just happy you're home," I told him. He smiled.

"You know what sounds fun?"

"What?"

"Going to the meadow to watch clouds," he said.

"That really does sound fun! We haven't done that for a long time." I smiled at him brightly and started on my food.

* * *

><p>I moved closer to Shika as a crisp breeze blew across the meadow. We were lying on the ground, staring up at the sky. I had my head resting on his shoulder as he had his good arm around me.<p>

"This is really nice, Shika. So quiet and peaceful." Just as I finished speaking, we both heard and excited squeal.

"Nii-san's back!" a familiar young girl's voice yelled. Shika and I sat up to see Kimi and Hiro running toward us. They saw the sling on his arm and stopped.

"Are you okay, nii-san?" Hiro asked.

"I just got a little beat up on my mission, is all," Shika answered.

"But you're so strong. How did you get beat up?" Kimi said. He chuckled.

"The man I fought was strong, but he was no match for my dad and Yumi's when they used Kekei Genkai. You remember that, don't you?" he explained. They nodded.

"You'll get stronger, right, nii-san? So you can protect onee-chan?" Kimi asked. I felt my cheeks heat up as Shika nodded.

"Of course," he replied.

"Hey, nii-san. You said Clan Leader Yumimaro and Nara-san won a battle with Kekei Genkai, right?" Hiro asked.

"Yep."

"So that means if Kimi and I keep practicing, we can be as strong as the three of you with our Kekei Genkai?" Shika nodded again.

"Awesome!" Hiro cheered. "Kimi, I'm gonna go practice so I can be strong and protect you! Do you wanna come with me?"

"Yeah!" Kimi hugged Shika and I before joining Hiro. "Bye! We'll show you how strong we can get!" The two of them walked off and I couldn't have been more proud.

"You're really and inspiration to them, Shika," I said. He shrugged.

"Maybe." We lay back down and stayed until after the sun had set.

* * *

><p>A few weeks passed and, as Sakura had said, Shika was all healed. He was still a bit sore, but all the bones were back in place and back together.<p>

One night, as we were playing Go, Shika asked about the wedding. I felt my heart flutter at the mention of it.

"We're you planning the whole time I was?" he asked. I nodded as I made my move. "Is everything ready to go then?"

"Yeah. Why?" I asked. He took his turn.

"I was thinking we could get married in a couple of days. Now that everyone's back and I'm healed." He smiled at me. "I guess I just can't wait to finally marry the girl of my dreams." That last sentence made me happier than almost anything had. I shoved the Go board out of the way and tackled Shika to the floor. He let out a grunt as his back hit the floor but he smiled. I kissed him hard and giggled when we pulled apart. His hands on my waist kept my body firmly on top of his as he kissed along my jaw. I stopped him and looked him straight in the eye.

"I love you so much. More than you will ever know, Shikamaru."

"I can say the same to you," he replied with a smile. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him again.

* * *

><p>A couple of days had gone by and it was finally the day of the wedding. I was so nervous and excited that I could barely stay still. Choji, Naruto, and Neji stopped at the apartment and took Shika to his parents' house to get ready early that morning. Shortly after that, Tenten, Ino, and Hinata were at the apartment to take <em>me <em>over to Shika's parents' house.

"Why couldn't Shika and I walk over together?" I asked. Tenten and Ino rolled their eyes while Hinata giggled softly.

"You know the old superstition about the groom seeing the bride before the wedding?" Ino asked me. I nodded. "Well, the same goes for Shikamaru seeing your kimono. Bad luck." I looked at the bag in my arms that held my bridal kimono.

"Oh, I see." We arrived at the house and Shika's mother opened the door.

"Yumi, you're here!" she said happily. As nice as she had become around me, Yoshino still scared me beyond belief. "You'll be getting ready in Shikamaru's old room." I bowed politely.

"T-thank you, Y-yoshino-san." She took us up to the room and left to go find my mom. The girls and I walked in. The first thing I noticed was that it was clean. Of the times I'd been in that room, it had been a total mess. I sat down on the futon and a memory came rushing back. I remembered the night that I'd snuck in through the window. Shika and I had just started dating and I had wanted to talk to him since I couldn't sleep. I also remembered that that night was the night before we'd gone on an ambassador mission to Suna. Tears welled up in my eyes as I remembered how he'd pulled me down on the futon next to him in his sleep. He'd pulled me close and I'd fallen asleep in his arms. A smile crossed my face when I remembered the scene the morning after. Shika standing in the middle of the room with no shirt while I was perched on the windowsill, blushing like crazy. A hand on my shoulder shook me back to the present.

"Yumi, are you okay?" Hinata asked. I noticed that the girls had changed into their ocean blue bridesmaid kimonos. I wiped away the happy tears and smiled.

"Just something I remembered made me happy. I'm fine, really," I answered. I quickly changed and the girls were doing my hair when my mother came in.

"Oh, honey, you look gorgeous!" she cried. She was carrying bouquets for us. "Ino's parents made these for you." We took them and headed downstairs to the back door of the house. Choji, Naruto, and Neji were waiting for us, all dressed up in their formal clothes.

"Well, don't you three look handsome?" I said with a smile. I saw all three of them turn a little pink.

"Are we all ready?" Yoshino asked. I started to nod but stopped.

"Where's Dad?" I asked.

"Do you think I'd be late on my little girl's big day?" my dad answered as he walked in. I smiled at him and we heard the music start. Yoshino did some touch-ups on Tenten and Neji as they got ready to walk out first. I watched the walk to the altar and then separate. Then, Ino and Choji went out. Hinata and Naruto did the same after them. Finally, it was time for my dad and me to go. He smiled at me and pulled the veil over my face. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks, Dad," I replied with a smile. The music outside changed and we walked up to the door.

"Here we go," he said and then we were walking. Shika was staring wide-eyed at me as my dad and I walked down the aisle. I blushed deeply and I saw his expression change to his adorable crooked smirk. My dad released my arm and went to go sit with my mom as I faced Shika at the altar. I could hear excited whispers moving through the crowd.

"She looks so beautiful. And doesn't Shikamaru look handsome?"

"Aww, look! She really is a blushing bride!"

"They are such a good couple. They're so young, but this is meant to be."

I looked up at Shika and almost burst into tears at all the love I saw in his eyes. The priest started to speak, but I barely heard him. I couldn't take my eyes off of Shika. It got to the part where we said our vows and gave each other the rings. Shika went first. He took my hand and got ready to speak.

"There are so many things to say. But you know I'm not the greatest with words. I promise to care for you. I promise to protect you. Most of all, I promise that I will love you forever." He put the ring on my finger and it was my turn.

"Shikamaru, you may never know how much I truly love you. You are the sweetest, kindest, and most adorably lazy man I know." He chuckled softly. "I know you'll always be there for me. I promise to always be by your side. I'm the happiest I've ever been whenever I'm with you and I give you my promise that I will love you forever." I put the wedding band on his finger and smiled.

"Shikamaru, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the priest asked.

"I do," he answered with a smile. The priest turned to me.

"Yumiko, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Shika wrapped his arms around me and kissed me deeply. I was lost in that kiss. He pulled away and I felt dizzy as everyone cheered. He took my hand and we walked back down the aisle and to the other side of the house where the reception was being held. There was a wooden dance floor and a slightly raised platform with a table. Shikaku led us up to the platform along with Tenten, Neji, Hinata, Naruto, Ino, and Choji. We all sat down together and everyone else sat at the tables below. The food was served, but before anyone could eat, Choji stood up.

"As the best man, it's expected of me to give a speech. So here goes. I could say a lot about these two. Most of all, they're great friends and are always there whenever anyone needs them. They're perfect for each other and every person here can see that." He smiled at us. "Congratulations, Shikamaru and Yumi." Everyone clapped and then we started to eat. When we finished, a beautiful cake was set in front of us.

"Stand up. We'll cut it together," Shika whispered in my ear. I did as he said and he stood behind me, his hands covering mine on the knife's handle. We cut two pieces of cake and then my mom took over. Shika picked up a piece and held it up. I looked at him warily.

"I really don't want icing up my nose, Shika," I said. He smirked.

"Cleaning off all that icing would be a drag. I won't shove it in your face, I promise," he replied. "Just take a bite." I took a bite as I picked up the other piece of cake. "Wait. You've got icing on your nose."

"What? Where?" I tried to wipe at it, but he grabbed my wrist.

"I've got it." Then, he did something that made my cheeks burn. He got close to my face and his tongue flicked out from between his lips, licking the icing off the end of my nose.

"Sh-shika!" I felt like my face would burst into flames. All he did was smirk.

"Yummy. Can I have a bite now?" he asked. I silently held up the cake and he took a big bite. "That's good cake." He licked his lips and my heartbeat sped up at the sight. My dad walked up to us and I was thankful for the distraction.

"It's time for you two to have your first dance as husband and wife," he told us. We nodded. Shika took my hand and gently pulled me down to the dance floor.

**A/N- Yay! Shikamaru and Yumi are married now! I was so excited to get this chapter out. I hope you all enjoyed it! Also, sorry if Choji's speech was horrible. To be honest, I had absolutely no ideas for it…Anyway, don't forget to R&R!**

**- ren-shika-inu15**

**P.S. I had a guest reviewer ask a good question. The question was 'Who is Sakura's love interest?' Answer: I really haven't thought about it much. She hasn't really been a big character in either of the stories so I guess you could say that she's still waiting on Sasuke to change his mind and come back. That's the most I can tell you right now so I hope that works. It may change later on if I decide to include her more. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note- I'm still alive! Soccer is over so I may be able to update more. Plus, I have a computer class 1****st**** hour so if I ever remember to take my flash drive to school I can type in that class. Anyway, here's a new chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Still only own mine. **

Chapter 10

Yumi and I went out to the dance floor as the music started. She put her arms around my neck as I put my arms around her waist. She looked up at me, her face still red and tears in her eyes.

"Yumi, what's wrong?" I asked. She smiled.

"Nothing. I've been dreaming of this since I was little. Now I really am Yumiko Nara," she answered. The happy tears slid down her face as she beamed at me.

I leaned down and captured her lips with a searing kiss. When I pulled away, her tears were coming faster. I pulled her even closer as we swayed to the music. "I love you, Yumi."

"I love you, too," she replied. It wasn't long before the song ended and everyone clapped. Yumimaro walked up to us.

"Mind if I dance with her, Shikamaru?" he asked. I stepped back.

"Of course not, Yumimaro-san." I bowed and walked over to where some of the guys were standing as Yumi danced with her father. Shiro happened to be the one who saw me first.

"Heya, Shikamaru. How's it going?" he asked.

"Amazing," I said with a smile. He slapped me on the back.

"Nice to have you in the family," he replied with a smile of his own. At that moment, Miroki and Kokuru walked over.

"Hey, guys. Thanks for coming," I said. They smiled.

"Not a problem, Shikamaru. Just take care of our girl, okay?" Miroki answered. We talked for a while and eventually the party began to wind down. Yumi and I were ushered into the house to change. Even though Yumi was wearing her regular clothes, my mom insisted that she keep her veil on. I rolled my eyes while Yumi smiled. We had our packs ready and were getting ready to leave when she spotted the teacher that she had been subbing for. She bowed politely.

"Thank you for coming and I'm so glad you're better, Takana-sensei," she said. The other woman smiled.

"Oh, thank you. You did such a wonderful job. I know the children will miss you," Takana-sensei replied. I walked over and slipped my hand into Yumi's.

"I'm sorry, Takana-sensei, but it's time for us to leave," I told her politely. She smiled.

"Go and enjoy yourselves," she told us. We bowed and waved goodbye to everyone. Then, we started our trip to the Nara cottage in the mountains.

* * *

><p>We got to the cottage a few hours later. I opened the door as Yumi bounced up and down excitedly. She looked up at me, a wide smile on her face.<p>

"Three whole weeks by ourselves! No missions and no teaching. Isn't it great, Shika?" she exclaimed. I smiled as I scooped her up in my arms and carried her over the threshold of the cottage. She gasped as she saw the living room. I smiled to myself but kept on walking until we got to the master bedroom. I sat her on the futon and we kicked off our shoes and took off our packs. She fell back onto the futon, sighing happily. Feeling oddly energized, I practically pounced on her. Before she even knew what was happening, my lips were on hers, moving quickly. I moved my lips along her jaw line and down her throat to nip at her collarbone. I felt her hands weave their way into my hair and soon it was falling in my face. I bit down a little harder than I had been and her body arched up into mine as she moaned. Our bodies melded together perfectly. Things kept up that way for a nice, long while.

* * *

><p>I lay awake, one arm tucked behind my head and the other wrapped around Yumi. Her hot, bare skin felt blazing against my own. She was fast asleep with her head on my chest and her legs tangled up with mine under the blankets. I had thought that I couldn't love her more than I already did, but I had been very, very wrong. I held her gather against me and looked down at my beautiful wife's sleeping face.<p>

'_She really makes that word have a nice ring to it,' _I thought as I smiled. I brushed away some hair that was stuck to her forehead with sweat. Kami, she looked gorgeous. I placed a soft kiss on top of her head and finally went to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, I woke up to the smell of bacon drifting into the room. I rolled over on my side and found Yumi's side of the futon empty. I stretched and then got up and got dressed. I quietly made my way out to the kitchen where Yumi stood in front of the stove in a tank top and shorts, her long, red hair untied and flowing down her back. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder.<p>

"Good morning, my gorgeous, lazy man," she said brightly. She turned her head and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"Good morning. That smells delicious," I said as I inhaled deeply. My stomach grumbled and Yumi laughed. I held her tighter as I listened to that sweet sound. She turned off the stove and put the bacon on a plate. I released her long enough to let her put it on the table and then wrapped my arms around her again, this time with her facing me.

"Well, someone's awfully grabby this morning," she teased.

"Got that right," I answered before smashing our lips together. I felt her arms slid around my neck as she nibbled at my bottom lip. It wasn't long before I met her tongue with my own. The tasted of her drove me crazy. I scooped her up in my arms without breaking our kiss and started to walk to the bedroom.

"Wait, Shika. What about our breakfast?" Yumi said in a breathy voice. I looked back at the table with eggs, bacon, rice, and steaming cups of tea spread out on it. Then I looked back to Yumi, her eyes glazed, cheeks pink, chest heaving. It wasn't a hard decision. I covered her lips with mine and carried her to bed.

* * *

><p>I lay in bed, my arms behind my head, listening to the sound of the water in the shower. It briefly occurred to me that our breakfast was probably cold by now, but what took its place was well worth the cold food. I head the shower shut off and the bathroom door opened. Yumi stood in the doorway, wrapped in a towel, a predatory look in her eyes. I laughed and shook my head. She smiled and the look faded somewhat.<p>

"Do you want me to remake breakfast?" she asked as she sat next to me on the futon. She took my hand and entwined our fingers.

"It's not a big deal. I'm not really that hungry anyway," I replied.

"Ok, then." She released my hand and went to go get dressed. I got up and headed to the bathroom for a shower.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note- I'm finally back! It seems like it's taken me FOREVER to write this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my characters and my plot.**

Chapter 11

After Shika took his shower, we decided to go for a walk. The forest was so pretty. Being a ninja, I never really got to admire nature because every time I was out of the village was for missions. We spent the entire day outside. It was amazing. That night, we curled up in front of the fireplace in the living room. I was staring into the fire when Shika startled me.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked at him and smiled.

"It's nothing," I replied. He brought his lips to my ear and kissed the tender spot behind it. I felt my body turn into jelly like it did whenever he kissed that spot.

"Tell me," he whispered huskily in my ear. I sighed.

"I was thinking about babies. Do you want to have kids, Shika?" I asked.

"Two. A boy first. Then, a girl. So he can look out for his little sister," he answered. I smiled.

"That sounds nice." We then fell into a comfortable silence.

* * *

><p>The rest of our honeymoon seemed to go by quickly. It wasn't long before we were returning to the village. It was nice to be home, though. We were standing outside the apartment and after he unlocked the door, Shika scooped me up in his arms.<p>

"Didn't we do this already?" I asked with a laugh.

"But that wasn't our home so I have to do it here, too," he said with a smile. I laughed again as he carried me inside. He set me on the couch and took our packs to the bedroom. I kicked off my shoes and stretched out on the couch. Shika came back into the living room and sat down on the floor beside the couch.

"It's nice to be home," I said with a happy sigh. Shika was about to speak when there was a knock on the door. I got up quickly and answered it.

"Onee-chan! Nii-san!" Kimi and Hiro yelled as they tackled me. Shika started laughing as he got up and scooped the kids up in his arms.

"Hey, what's up, guys?" he asked as they wrapped their little arms around his neck. It was adorable.

"We heard you were back and we had to come see you!" Kimi said excitedly. Hiro nodded in agreement.

"Did anything fun happen while we were gone?" I asked as I took Hiro from Shika.

"It wasn't fun, but Kimi beat me at that speed drill you taught us," Hiro admitted sadly. I smiled at him.

"It's okay to lose sometimes. I'm so proud of you both for working so hard while I was gone," I told them.

"Me, too," Shika said as he bounced Kimi once, making her giggle. I felt my heart swell with love for the man across from me. He noticed me looking and smiled.

"Did you miss us?" Kimi asked. Shika and I both smiled.

"Of course we did," he said.

"Absolutely!" I agreed. Both kids smiled.

"Yay!

* * *

><p>We spent the rest of the day with Kimi and Hiro. When we got home, I flopped down on the couch, exhausted. The kids had run us all over the village just to spend time with us. Shika sat down next to me and pulled me to his side. I looked up at him and he pressed his lips to mine softly at first and then gradually harder.<p>

"I love you," he whispered. I smiled.

"I love you, too," I replied. Then, I yawned and so did Shika. "Let's go to bed." I stood up and took Shika's hand, pulling him up off the couch. We happily went to our room and went to bed.

* * *

><p>Things pretty much returned to normal after that. Shika went back to work at the Academy and I spent my days training Kimi and Hiro or training with Hinata and Tenten. I was doing the latter the day I got some news I'd been waiting for. I was up in a tree, hiding, with Hinata on the ground below me. Tenten was slowly walking around the training ground, waiting for us to attack. Hinata looked up at me and I nodded. She shot out of the trees and started throwing punches. Tenten was kept on the defensive while I attached a paper bomb to a kunai. I threw the kunai into a tree and Hinata kept pushing Tenten towards the kunai. As soon as the bomb lit, Hinata backed off and dashed back into the trees. I made some hand signs, forming a chakra thread as Tenten tried to figure out what was happening. The bomb went off and she jumped back. I threw the chakra thread and attached it to her shoulder. She froze as my paralysis genjustsu took hold. I hopped down and Hinata and I walked up to Tenten, smiling.<p>

"Looks like we win," I said. I released the jutsu just as a messenger entered the grounds. He bowed.

"Hinata Hyugua, Tenten, Yumiko Nara, you are to report to Lady Hokage's office."

"Thank you," we answered before taking off.

* * *

><p>We arrived to find Shikamaru, Neji, Naruto, and Sakura waiting for us.<p>

"Good, you've arrived. I'm sending you all to a small village outside Suna. People have been disappearing. This includes Sand ninja that are being sent to investigate. The Kazekage has requested our assistance. Meet at the gate tomorrow morning. Dismissed," Tsunade told us. We walked out of the office and I smiled up at Shika.

"I'm so excited, Shika! I finally get to go on a mission," I said brightly. He smiled back.

"I've got to go back to the Academy, but I'll see you at home," he replied. He kissed me and then we went in our different directions.

I had just finished packing my things, putting my pack by the front door, when Shika entered the apartment.

"Welcome home," I said brightly. He smiled before pulling me into a deep kiss. "I'm going to get dinner started. Is there anything in particular that you want?"

"Anything you make is fine," he replied. I smiled and went to get started.

* * *

><p>We had been running towards Suna for a few hours and I was feeling really sick. I had woken up that morning and rushed straight into the bathroom, emptying the few contents of my stomach.<p>

_(Flashback)_

_ "Yumi? Are you okay?" Shika's voice called from the bedroom. _

_ "I'm all right," I called back weakly. I felt another wave of nausea and soon I was retching again. I felt gentle, calloused hands pulling my hair back and an arm weaving around my waist after. When I was finished, I looked up at Shika. _

_ "Thank you," I said weakly. He handed me a towel to wipe my mouth and gave me a worried look. _

_ "Are you okay? Maybe you should stay home. There will be plenty of other missions," he said. I shook my head. _

_ "I'll be okay," I replied. He didn't look convinced but he let it go. "Go get ready. I'll be ready in a little bit." He left reluctantly. _

_(End Flashback)_

I started to feel nauseous just thinking about it. I held my stomach and kept on running.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note- Hey, everyone! Sorry it's been so long! I have a new chapter for you! Hope you like it. R & R! **

**Author's Note #2-I forgot to mention that I'm using an OC created by my friend soulful_ginger. He is Naruto's brother, Kouhei Uzumaki. I hope I keep him in character. Thanks to soulful_ginger for letting me borrow one of his characters.**

**Disclaimer: I only own my characters and my plot.**

Chapter 12

We had found a clearing to make camp in for the night. After setting up, we sat around the fire and discussed the mission.

"What could be causing these people to disappear?" Sakura asked.

"I'm guessing kidnappers," Naruto said. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Maybe they're bandits or rouge ninja," Yumi said quietly. I looked at her and she was pale as a sheet.

"Yumi, are you okay?" I asked worriedly. She barely nodded before she stood up and rushed to the edge of the trees to throw up. I went and knelt beside her for the second time that day. When she stopped, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Shika," she said quietly.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. Would you like me to take you back to the village?" I replied. She slowly shook her head.

"I'm going to complete this mission. I bet I'll feel better tomorrow," she said with a weak smile.

"Well, until then, why don't you rest?"

"Okay." I stood up and picked her up gently. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I carried her to our tent. Once she was comfortable, I kissed her forehead and went back out to join the others.

"Yumi's not feeling well?" Tenten asked. I shook my head.

"She's been sick since this morning. But she refused to stay home," I answered. She nodded knowingly as we continued to talk about the mission.

* * *

><p>We were getting ready to leave the next morning when I noticed Yumi was paler than the day before.<p>

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tenten questioned her. Hinata stood beside her with a worried look on her face. Yumi nodded with a smile.

"I'll be fine. I'm not even nauseous today," she said, sounding a bit more like her normal self. We finished packing up and then took off running. I made sure that I stayed close to Yumi so I could be ready in case anything happened. We were a few miles away from our destination when I noticed Yumi getting paler. I gently took her hand and gave her a worried look.

"Yumi, are you okay?" I asked quietly.

"Sure, I'm fi-…" Her eyes rolled back in her head and I caught her as she fell.

"Sakura!" I yelled. I saw the pinkette stop and run back to us.

"What happened, Shikamaru?" she asked.

"We were running and she passed out. Is she okay?" I said, sounding a lot calmer than I felt.

"Her vital signs are weaker than they should be. She needs to get to the hospital in Suna. I can't do anything here," she explained quickly. I nodded as I picked Yumi up and started running towards Suna.

* * *

><p>I paced around the hospital room as I waited for Yumi's test results to come back. She still hadn't woken up and I was on the verge of panic when the doctor walked in. He had a big smile on his face.<p>

"I have some great news, Nara-san! Your wife is just fine. In fact, you're going to be a father!" he said brightly. I sat down in the chair beside the bed. "She just overworked herself so she fainted. She should wake up soon. Congratulations!" He bowed and left.

'_Oh, Kami. I'm going to be a dad,'_ I thought. I heard a soft groan and I looked up into Yumi's pretty gray eyes.

"Hi, Shika," she said with a smile. I smiled back.

"Hi. How are you feeling?"

"Kind of tired. Where are we?"

"The hospital in Suna. You passed out on our way," I explained. She frowned.

"I'm sorry I've caused everyone so much trouble," she replied. I took her hand and threaded our fingers together.

"Actually, the doctor gave me some good news. We're…going to be parents," I told her. Her hand tightened around mine and tears came to her eyes.

"Really?" she whispered. I nodded. The tears flowed as she smiled brightly. "I can't believe it. A baby…wow." I moved so I sat next to her on the bed. I pulled her into my arms and we held each other tightly. I pulled her chin up so I could press my lips to hers passionately.

"Kami, I love you," I told her. She smiled.

"I love you, too," she replied. At that moment, I saw a flash of red and yellow fly past the door. I immediately recognized the speeding forms. I got up and poked my head out the door.

"Kouhei, Naruto, we're in here," I called out. A split second later, the Uzumaki brothers were back in front of me.

"Heya, Shikamaru!" Kouhei said. "Long time, no see!" I noticed that Kouhei's left eye was different. The white of it was now a royal purple and instead of an iris and pupil, there was the kanji for legend.

"So how's Yumi?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine, Naruto," Yumi laughed. The guys walked over to her bed.

"How's my sister from another mister?" Kouhei asked with a smile. She smiled back.

"Good. Guess what?" she said as he playfully tugged on her ponytail.

"Huh?"

"Shika and I are going to have a baby!"

"Whoa! Awesome!" Both Uzumakis exclaimed. Suddenly, Kouhei pulled out one of the two swords he kept strapped to his hip. He held the sword above Yumi, mere centimeters from where my unborn child was forming.

"What are you doing?" Yumi, Naruto, and I yelled. Kouhei stopped swirling the sword in a spiral motion.

"Damn, I've been away too long if my friends think that I'd hurt any of them. I'm making a Blessing Seal. So your baby will be healthy. Kami, maybe I shouldn't take on so many missions…" he explained. Naruto patted him on the back. "You guys need to chill."

"We're sorry, Bro. It's just that your sword is really close," Naruto replied. Kouhei rolled his eyes.

"Just shut up so I can finish," he said. He put away his sword and made some hand signs. He then gently laid his palm on her stomach. Her eyes slid shut and she let out a content sigh. When her eyes opened, she smiled at me and then turned to Kouhei.

"Thanks, Kouhei," she said. He smiled back.

"Not a problem. So what's the deal here? Granny said I was coming to help out with this mission."

"There's a small village outside of this one where people are disappearing. Even shinobi are coming up missing. So Gaara has asked for aid from the Leaf. As soon as Yumi gets released, we're heading there," I explained. There was a knock at the door and a nurse came into the room.

"I have the release paperwork," she said with a smile. Yumi got up and signed the papers and the four of us left.

* * *

><p>We arrived at the inn we would be staying at to find the rest of the team waiting. Tenten, Hinata, and Sakura immediately ran to Yumi. They started doing that giggly, whispery thing that girls do. I rolled my eyes and then cringed when Tenten and Sakura squealed loudly. All three enveloped Yumi in a huge hug and she laughed. Naruto, Kouhei, and I walked over to where Neji was sitting.<p>

"Do girls really have to do that?" Kouhei asked as he uncovered his ears. Neji rolled his eyes.

"Great. Another Uzumaki to annoy me," the Hyuga said.  
>"Why you…!" Kouhei growled as he reached for a sword. His brother put a calming hand on his shoulder.<p>

"Chill, Bro. He won't do much. I'm dating his cousin!" Naruto told him with a big grin. The redhead's eyes went wide.

"No way!"

"Yes way! Ever since I got back from training with Pervy Sage. Although, I did sorta take on a mission before going back." The brothers soon got wrapped up in catching up with each other. I took a seat next to Neji and then leaned forward, elbows on my knees, eyes closed, and hands making a rectangle as I began to think. My brow furrowed as I tried to work out a plan. I stayed deep in thought until Neji and Kouhei started to fight.

"Damn, Tenten's turned into a real babe," the redhead told his brother. I opened my eyes and saw Neji gripping the collar of Kouhei's armor. Their faces were inches apart.

"Stay away from Tenten, you red-haired fiend!" Neji growled. Kouhei held his hands up in surrender.

"Chill out, Huyga. I'm not gonna mess with your girl. In case you've forgotten, I've got Anko waiting for me back home. Ah, my snake beauty, I can hardly wait until I'm back and then we can do all the naughty things I want," he said dreamily. I rolled my eyes as he started to drool.

"Um, are you the shinobi from Konoha?" a quiet voice asked. I stood up and walked over to the young girl.

"Yes, we are." She held out five keys.

"These are the keys to the rooms where you will be staying. Please enjoy your stay and if you need anything, don't hesitate to call." The girl bowed and left quickly. I passed the keys out when everyone finally got quiet.

"All right. Everyone go to your rooms and settle in. Meet back down here in fifteen minutes. We're going to do a quick patrol and then rest up for tonight. Most of the people are being taken at night. We'll patrol tonight and wait to see if we come across someone in trouble," I explained. Everyone nodded and we went to our respective rooms.

* * *

><p>Yumi and I were in our room, getting ready for patrol. I was standing at the window, lost in thought, when I felt Yumi's arms weave around my waist from behind. She rested her cheek between my shoulder blades.<p>

"I can't believe it, Shika. We're going to have a baby," she said quietly. I turned in her arms and she smiled up at me. I smiled back and leaned down to kiss her. She nipped at my lip and soon my lips were traveling across her jaw and down to her throat. I found her pulse point and lightly scraped my teeth over it, causing her to moan. Her body started to tremble. I slid my hands up under the back of her shirt.

"Wait," she gasped.

"Why?" I managed to growl out.

"Mi…ah…mission," she said breathily. I pulled away with a slight scowl. "Maybe later," she told me with a cute smile. We headed back downstairs to rejoin the others.

* * *

><p>"Geez, took you long enough. Were you guys 'getting busy'?" Kouhei asked. Both of us blushed.<p>

"T-that's none of your business," Yumi stuttered.

"All right, let's move out. We're going to do a quick patrol around the village. Then, we'll meet back here. Understood?" I said. Everyone nodded and left.

* * *

><p>The patrol went well. No one found anything unusual. When everyone returned, I noticed that Yumi looked pale. I walked up to her and pulled her into my arms.<p>

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked. She nodded.

"I'm just a little tired," she replied.

"Let's go upstairs so you can rest." She nodded again. When we got to the room, I made her sit on the bed while I took off her vest, shoes, and weapons pouch. She laid down and curled into the ball, her hands resting lightly on her stomach. She was asleep in moment. After I'd taken of my shoes and equipment, I laid down beside her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and entwining my fingers through hers over our unborn child.

* * *

><p>When I woke up, the setting sun was shining through the window and there was the pleasant sensation of warm lips caressing my throat. I opened my eyes to find Yumi sitting on my hips. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her down so we were lying chest to chest.<p>

"Hey, sleepyhead," she said with a sweet smile.

"Hey." I leaned up and kissed her deeply. Her hands slowly traveled down my body until they reached the hem of my shirt and slipped underneath. Her fingers, once clumsy and hurried, moved over my torso with practiced ease. She kissed me again, more passion clearly evident. It wasn't long before I felt my shirt being pulled up over my head. Her warm lips then moved across my cheek, down my throat, to my chest where she peppered kisses everywhere. I unzipped her shirt and tossed it to the floor, leaving her in a tight camisole. I ran my hands over her back and stomach, slowly pushing up the camisole and revealing even more beautiful, creamy skin. And then there was a knock on the door. Yumi rolled off of me with a shocked squeak and it the floor with a soft 'thud'.

"Yo! Shikamaru! Yumi! Let's go!" Kouhei yelled through the door. I got up and angrily jerked it open. Kouhei took a step back after seeing my face.

"Oh, Kami!" Yumi jumped up from the floor and rushed to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth.

"I'll be ready in a minute." I went to the bathroom and found Yumi with her head over the toilet. I knelt next to her and started to rub her back.

"Thanks, Shika," she said when she finished.

"Maybe you should stay here and rest."

"No. I'm a ninja and I'm here to complete a mission."

"You're also pregnant and you need to rest."

"But, Shika-"

"No. You're my wife and the mother of my child and I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby. Just please stay here and rest," I asked. She examined my face for a moment and sighed, defeated.

"Fine. I'll stay."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note- Hello! I'm back with a new chapter! I hope you all haven't given up on me! Enjoy the story! R & R! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Naruto **_**or its characters. Only my own!**

Chapter 13

I sat on the bed and watched Shika get ready. I was pretty upset about being left behind again, but I knew why Shika was concerned. I'd already pushed myself earlier that day.

"I'll be back before you know it," he said as he placed a kiss on my forehead. He walked out the door and I started pacing. I hated being stuck in the room alone. Suddenly, I got an idea. I quickly changed into civilian clothes and left the inn.

* * *

><p>I had been walking for a long time without seeing a thing. I was about to head back to the inn when a man jumped into the street in front of me.<p>

"You're coming with us," he said gruffly. I started to make hand signs behind my back when my wrists were grabbed and bound.

"Nice try," the man behind me said.

"Let me go!" I screamed. The men laughed. Pain erupted in my skull and my vision went black.

* * *

><p>I woke up in a dark room, tied to a chair.<p>

"Finally awake? About time," a gruff voice said. A large man with a scar around his neck stepped out of the shadows. He slid his finger down my cheek and I shuddered. That earned me a backhand to the face.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" I asked as I tasted blood in my mouth. He laughed.

"'Why', you ask? Because it's fun. And people fear us. We've shown our power and they are afraid," he answered.

"There are others. They'll find you," I told him. He backhanded me again.

"I never would've picked you to be the feisty type," he said with a grin. "Unless, perhaps, you would fuss about this." He held up my wedding ring. I pulled at the ropes around my wrists. He knelt in front of me. "You really are a devoted little wife, aren't you? Do you want it back?" he asked cruelly. I spat blood in his face. He grabbed my hair and yanked harshly, causing me to cry out.

"What do you want with me?" I replied hoarsely.

"Nothing in particular. We'll play for a while and when I get bored, well, I'll get rid of you," he explained. At that moment, true brain-numbing fear struck me. I closed my eyes as I prayed to Kami.

'_Keep Shika and the others safe. Don't let these guys find them. And please, if they don't kill me, let my baby be okay.'_ I felt pain in my head again and passed out.

* * *

><p>"Wake up!" I heard a young voice say. I slowly opened my eyes and a young boy stood in front of me. He looked like a smaller, younger, and possibly kinder version of the man with the scar. "Wake up! I brought food."<p>

"Why are you here?" I asked weakly.

"Stupid lady! I told you I brought food," he answered.

"I meant, why are you in this horrible place?"

"It's not horrible! My dad lives here with me. You just don't like it 'cause you're bad." He held out a bowl of rice and chopsticks.

"You'll have to untie me," I told him. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, duh! Oh, and there's no use in trying to run away. There are guards right outside the door." He untied me and handed me the food. I ate quickly.

"Thank you," I said as I gave the bowl and chopsticks back.

"You're one weird lady," he replied as he retied my wrists. He left quickly after that.

* * *

><p>A few days had passed since I was first captured. Apparently, I wasn't interesting enough to keep around any longer and that man decided to get rid of me.<p>

"Well, it's your final day in this world. Are you scared?" he asked with a cruel smile.

"Yes," I replied. "But not for myself." He slapped me so hard that my vision went blurry. I could see him getting ready to punch me in the stomach but then moonlight flooded into the room and he froze. I noticed that his shadow was way too long and that there were three figures behind him. One with red hair, one with blonde, and one with raven hair in a ponytail.

"Get away from her," a very angry, very familiar voice. My vision cleared and I saw Shika, Kouhei, and Naruto. Kouhei and Naruto went after the group of men scattered around the room. Shika made the man with the scar face him. His hand wrapped tightly around the man's throat. "If we weren't under orders to bring you in alive, I'd kill you right here. You did a good job hiding. But I will never let anyone take her from me," he said, his voice now eerily calm. He released the man from his grip, but I saw the shadow hands close around his throat. When he was unconscious, Shika withdrew the shadow hands. All the other men were already taken care of and the Uzumakis were dragging them outside.

"Shika, I missed you," I said as he quickly untied my wrists. He moved so he was in front of me and wrapped his arms tightly around me.

"Kami, I'm so happy you're okay," he said as he held me tightly. He was shaking and I felt tears running down my face.

"I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "I shouldn't have left the inn. It was a stupid thing for me to do when my strength wasn't recovered." He looked up and gave me a small reassuring smile.

"Everything is okay now," he told me.

"You aren't mad?"

"Not at you." He looked to the scarred man passed out on the floor next to us. "That bastard, on the other hand, has made me the angriest I've ever been." He ran his hand over my cheek. "How dare he hurt you like this."

"Can we leave, Shika?" I asked. He gently scooped me up in his arms and kissed me lovingly.

"Of course," he answered and we left.

* * *

><p>We got back to the inn and went to our room. He put me on the bed and headed towards the door.<p>

"It's late, but I'm going to get Sakura to make sure you're okay," he explained. He started to walk out.

"Hey, Shika?" I said. He turned around. "I love you." He gave me a small smile and walked out. He returned shortly with Sakura in tow. She sat on the bed next to me and focused her chakra in her hands. She moved them over me and smiled when she'd finished.

"Well, the only thing other than the visible bruises and cuts is that you have a minor concussion," she told me.

"Only a minor one?" I asked. She nodded. "I'm must have a harder head then I thought," I added with a laugh. "I got hit pretty hard."

"Thanks, Sakura. We'd like to be alone now," Shikamaru said suddenly. Sakura bowed and left. Shika then climbed into bed and covered us with the blanket. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

"I'm glad to be out of there," I said quietly.

"And I'm glad you're safe with me." He buried his face in my hair. "Don't ever leave me. Please," he whispered. I looked up at him.

"I'll never leave you. I'm yours and you're mine. Nothing can tear us apart." I moved my left hand up to stroke his cheek and I noticed that my wedding ring was gone. "No!" I cried. I tried to get up, but Shika held me tight.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he wiped away the tears that started to fall.

"He took my ring! That bastard took my ring!" Shika stared at me, shocked that I swore (something I never did). He could tell how upset I was. He pulled me closer and held me as I cried angrily. "I'm so sorry. I'm such a horrible wife."

"It wasn't your fault. He took it while you were being held captive. There wasn't anything you could do." He tilted my chin up and kissed me. "And I couldn't ask for a better wife. I love you, Yumi."

"I love you, too, Shika." He kissed me again and then someone knocked on the door. He got up and answered it.

"Hey, Shikamaru," I heard Kouhei say. He held something out to Shika. "I found this and I thought that Yumi would like to have it back."

"Thanks, Kouhei," Shika replied.

"You're welcome. See ya in the morning !" Shika closed the door and climbed back into bed. He then took my left hand and slid my ring back on my finger. I smiled brightly.

"My ring! I'll have to thank him tomorrow," I said happily. Shika curled his arms around me and we fell asleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning everyone met in the lobby of the inn with all their stuff. Shika stayed by my side the entire time we were preparing to leave. He wouldn't let me carry my things either, saying that he didn't want me to faint again. As we were on our way home, he wouldn't let there be more than two feet between us. At first, it was cute and sweet. But when we stopped to make camp, he took it a bit too far. We had everything set up so I started to walk into the woods to use the bathroom. He started to follow me and I turned to stop him.<p>

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Going with you. In case anybody's hiding in the woods."

"Shika, I'm going to the bathroom. I need a bit of privacy. If anything happens, I'll yell for you. I promise." He looked unconvinced.

"I'm not so sure…" I could feel myself getting very irritated.

"Look, Shikamaru, I need a few moments to myself. You've been right with me all day. I love you, but please give me a break!" I snapped. He stared at me for a moment. I could tell that he was angry, but all he did was nod.

"Okay. Call me if you need me," he replied and then walked away. I sighed but walked into the forest anyway.

* * *

><p>When I returned a few minutes later, everyone was gathered around the fire. Naruto had Hinata curled up in his lap. Neji and Tenten were cuddled together, whispering. Kouhei was drooling over a picture of Anko while Sakura made some medicine. And…Shika and I were sitting five feet from each other. I glanced over at him and he was staring into the fire. I sighed quietly and got up to go to our tent. I was untying my hair when I heard the flap of the tent open and then close. I turned to see Shika watching me.<p>

"Are you feeling okay? I know you said you wanted space, but I'm worried," he explained. His voice was firm but his cheeks were pink. I ran the short distance to him, wrapping my arms around him.

"I'm sorry I was so mean! I know you were only concerned for me. I'm so sorry," I exclaimed. He wrapped one of his arms around me and tilted my face up to his.

"I shouldn't have smothered you so much. Everyone needs their space. I just took protecting you too far," he said with a gentle smile. "I'm sorry. Let's go to bed. You'll need your energy for tomorrow." He gave me a gentle kiss and directed me to the futon. He blew out the lantern and climbed in beside me. I hid my face in the crook of his neck as he held me tight.

* * *

><p>The next day, after we arrived home, we invited our parents to our apartment to tell them the news. When they arrived, we sat them on the couch and suddenly I became very nervous. Shika and I were making tea when I told him this.<p>

"Do you think they'll be okay with this?" I asked quietly. My hands shook lightly as I poured the tea. He gently placed his hands over mine.

"Everything will be fine. Trust me," he assured. He placed a soft reassuring kiss on my forehead and carried the tray with the tea over to the coffee table. I followed him closely. As our parents started to drink their tea, Shikaku looked at us expectantly.

"Is there any particular reason you called all four of us here?" he asked. Shika wrapped his arm around my waist.

"A-actually, w-we have g-good news," I stuttered. Shika pulled me closer and placed his hand on my belly.

"Yumi's pregnant. We found out in Suna," he said. Our mothers cheered.

"I'm finally going to have a grandchild!" Yoshino said. "About time you exerted a little energy, you lazy boy!" she added, looking at Shika. My cheeks started to burn at her implications.

"Mom!" Shika exclaimed. Our fathers and my mother were trying to stifle their laughs. I felt a little lightheaded so I leaned on Shika a bit. He looked down at me and placed the back of his hand on my forehead before glaring at Yoshino.

"Mom, you're going to give her a fever!" He guided me to a kitchen chair and I sat down as our parents gathered around me. "Are you okay?" he asked me. I laughed and waved off his concern.

"I'm fine. I just got a little lightheaded," I said with a smile. Shika rolled his eyes. Yoshino slapped the back of his head.

"Don't roll your eyes at your wife!" she yelled. Shika frowned and rubbed the back of his head.

"What a drag," he muttered.

"Your face is still pretty red. Are you sure you're okay?" my mom said.

"I'll be okay." My dad and Shika moved me to the couch and they and Shikaku perched themselves on the coffee table.

"How far along are you?" my dad asked. I beamed.

"A little over a month."

"So it happened on the honeymoon," Shikaku said with a wink. I blushed again as everyone but Shika laughed. Instead, he sat frowning at his dad. "Oh, relax, Shikamaru." We talked with them for a long time and our moms started talking about a baby shower.

* * *

><p>I was surprised when I opened the door the day to find Jishiru-sensei, Miroki, and Kokuru.<p>

"Hey, kiddo," Sensei said with a grin. My teammates grinned, too. Jishiru-sensei had gray starting at the edge of his short black hair and his hazel eyes shined happily.

"We heard you were back and, since we were all home, we figured we could have lunch together," Miroki explained. I noticed that his brown hair had gotten longer and his pale blue eyes sparkled.

"You want to come with us?" Kokuru asked. He'd cut his black hair shorter and his smile reached his deep green eyes. I realized how much I'd missed having these three guys in my everyday life.

"Of course!" I slipped on my shoes and joined them.

As we walked, Miroki and Kokuru told me all about the missions they'd been getting. Many of them sounded similar to the one I had just gotten back from. This made me think that maybe there was something bigger going on behind the group that had captured me. But I would tell Lady Tsunade of my suspicions later.

"So what's been going on with you?" Sensei asked. I smiled.

"Actually, while we were in Suna, Shikamaru and I found out that we're going to have a baby," I told them. All three stopped instantly and stared at me. I blushed and giggled at the looks on their faces.

"No way," Miroki said, disbelieving. I nodded with a widening smile.

"It's true. I'm a little over a month along." Sensei wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me.

"Well, boys, looks like our shy little Yumi is all grown up and becoming a mommy," he said with a laugh. I blushed deeper and they all laughed.

"Where do you want to have lunch? We'll treat you," Kokuru told me. I thought about it for a moment.

"How about ramen? Plus, I haven't seen the Ichirakus for a while."

"Sounds good!" he agreed.

* * *

><p>We entered the shop and as soon as we sat down, Mr. Ichiraku and his wife came out of the kitchen.<p>

"Well, hello! It's been a while since we've seen you four together," Mr. Ichiraku said with a grin. Miroki and Kokuru grinned back while sensei shook his hand. Mrs. Ichiraku, being the intuitive woman that she is, gave me an analytical look.

"Is there something new about you, Yumi? You seem to have a…glow about you," she said. I smiled.

"I'm pregnant!" I explained.

"Congratulations!" they said together. I was about to thank them when two little girls ran out from behind the counter.

"Yumi!" they cried. I climbed off the stool and hugged them.

"Aiko! Airi! Have you been good girls while I've been away?" I asked. They nodded enthusiastically.

"We're getting top marks in school!" Airi said happily. He indigo eyes were the only thing that was different from her sister. They had the same straight black hair and cute little faces.

"Our shuriken jutsu is really good, too!" Aiko's pale blue eyes shined proudly. "Are you really going to have a baby?"

"Yes, I'm very excited."

"How come your belly isn't big?" Airi asked.

"It's still going to be a while before my belly gets big. I'll make sure to come visit so you can see it when it's big. Okay?"

"Yay!" they cheered. I had a nice lunch and said goodbye to my team as I headed home.

"Onee-chan!" I turned as I heard Kimi's voice. She and Hiro were jogging towards me.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted.

"How did your mission go, onee-chan?" she asked.

"It went fine. Have you two been practicing?"

"Of course!" Hiro said proudly.

"Is what Kiko oba-san said true?" Kimi asked. "Are you and nii-san really having a baby?"

"We are! I guess news travels fast," I laughed.

"Kiko oba-san announced it to the whole clan when she and Yumimaro oji-san got home yesterday," Hiro explained.

"I see."

"Are we going to train today?" Kimi asked.

"Sorry. Not today. I need to be home when nii-san gets home. We can tomorrow, though," I told her.

"Okay! Tell nii-san we said hi!" she said as she and Hiro walked off. I smiled and headed home.

* * *

><p>The door to the apartment opened and I ceased my meditation. I opened my eyes to see Shika closing the door.<p>

"Welcome home," I said with a smile. He smiled and then smirked.

"Why does it seem like the whole village know about the baby?" he asked.

"Apparently, when Mon and Dad got home yesterday, my mom announced it to the entire clan."

"Mine, too." We laughed.

"And I told Jishiru-sensei, Miroki, Kokuru, and the Ichiraku family."

"I told all the guys except for Miroki and Kokuru, but you had that covered. I had at least three people I didn't know come up and congratulate me on my way home." I laughed and sat on the couch. Shika joined me and pulled me close to him. "A lot of things are going to change now."

"Yeah. We have to get a crib and baby clothes. All sorts of stuff. And we'll be in charge of another human life." I laid my hand on my abdomen and Shika laid his hand over mine.

"This baby will be amazing," he said as he kissed my forehead. I laid my head on his shoulder and snuggled closer to him.

"Yeah," I agreed.

* * *

><p>It had been a few months and one morning I stood in front of the mirror in my and Shika's room, staring at my belly. I frowned at how big it was already.<p>

"Hey, Shika, should my belly be this big already?" I asked. He was in the middle of getting ready to go to the Academy. When I spoke to him, he stopped and looked at my belly.

"I don't know, but we have an appointment with Sakura today so we can ask her then." I frowned again and rubbed my hands gently over my protruding belly.

"Okay…" I followed him to the door of the apartment and he kissed me goodbye.

"I'll come get you after work and we can head over to the hospital together. I love you." I smiled.

"Love you, too, Shika. Have a good day!" I closed the door and headed back into the bedroom. I stood in front of the mirror and pulled my shirt up to expose my belly. I stood sideways and stared at how far it stuck out.

"Why is it sticking out so far? It hasn't been long enough for it to be this big," I said aloud. I gently rested my hand on the top of my belly and sighed. "I hope you're fine. We're going to see Sakura later to see how you're doing," I said to my belly. I pulled my shirt back down and decided to pay Hinata a visit.

* * *

><p>After I was let into the Huyga Estate, I ran into Hinata's dad.<p>

"Good morning, Huyga-san," I said and bowed as much as I could.

"Good morning. Are you here to see Hinata?" he asked. I nodded. "She's in the garden with that Uzumaki boy." I said goodbye and headed that way.

I walked out into the garden and saw Naruto and Hinata cuddling under a tree. Naruto started to kiss down her jaw and then I cleared my throat. They both jumped and Hinata's face turned redder than my hair. Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head in a nervous gesture, his face pink.

"Hey, Yumi! How's it going?" he asked. I laughed.

"Good! How about you?" I asked in return.

"Never been better! Enjoying my time with my Hinata-chan!" He pulled her closer and she blushed deeper.

"N-naruto!" He laughed and kissed her cheek. "How are you feeling, Yumi?"

"I'm good. Shikamaru and I actually have an appointment with Sakura today." I rubbed my back as it started to ache slightly.

"I'll help you sit, Yumi," Naruto offered. He got up and held my arm as I slowly lowered myself to the ground.

"Such a gentleman," I said. He blushed and grinned. Hinata smiled lovingly at him. "Sorry you had to help me. I don't know why I'm so big already. Maybe I've been eating too much."

"You look great, though," Hinata replied. "Pregnancy suits you." I laughed.

"Thanks." We sat and talked for a while. Eventually, I said my goodbyes so I could be home when Shika got home.

* * *

><p>The door to the apartment opened and I put down the book I'd been reading.<p>

"Hey, how was your day?" I asked Shika. He plopped down on the couch beside me.

"What a drag. One kid slept all day. And there was another one who would laugh at the kid next to him when the kid got the answer wrong. Then, that kid would yell back at the first one. Why can't they just learn like they're supposed to?" I laughed as he sighed.

"Well, the sleeping kid reminds me of a certain handsome shadow user," I said as I nudged him with my foot. "And the other two remind me of Naruto and Sasuke. Don't tell me you've forgotten our Academy days so easily, Shika." He chuckled softly.

"I haven't forgotten. but my future is more important than my past. like making sure you and our baby have a good life."

"I love you, Shika," I said with a smile."

"I love you, too. We need to be getting to the hospital." He stood up and held his hand out to me. I took it and he helped me up off the couch. I put on my shoes and we headed to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Sakura was waiting for us when we entered the exam room.<p>

"Hey, you two! How are you?" she asked with a smile. I smiled back.

"We're great!" I answered. Shikamaru nodded.

"Well, let's get started." I laid down and pulled my shirt up to expose my abdomen.

"Should my stomach be this big already?" I asked.

"Let's get the ultrasound going so we can check it out," she replied. She put the gel on the wand and placed it on my belly. She moved it around and then gasped.

"No way!" Sakura exclaimed.

"What?" we asked.

**A/N- Cliffhanger! I just couldn't help myself. Also, I am now on deviantART. Be sure to check my page out! The username is otakuchick2014. I hope you'll go look at my art! Please review! Thanks!**

**ren-shika-inu15**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note-Hello! New chapter is ready to go! I hope everyone enjoys it. Please read and review! Thanks! **

**Disclaimer- I do not own **_**Naruto **_**or any of its characters. Only my own.**

Chapter 14

I was writing something on the chalk board when I heard a snore for the third or fourth time that morning. I turned around and saw a whited haired student in the back of the room with his head down, fast asleep. I frowned and tossed my piece of chalk at him. It hit him in the head and he instantly sat up.

"I'm awake!" he exclaimed. The whole class laughed and his face turned red.

"Tanaka, pay attention or I'll quiz you on this tomorrow," I told him.

"Yes, Nara-sensei." I nodded and went back to teaching.

It wasn't long after that that there was an argument. One of the students answered a question wrong and the kid beside him laughed.

"Fukusaku, you're such a loser," the raven-haired boy said snidely. Fukusaku shook his light brown hair out of his eyes and got right in the other boy's face.

"Shut up, Akatsuka! I'll take you on here and now!" he yelled. Akatsuka snickered.

"Will the two of you shut up? We're in the middle of class. Knock it off," I scolded.

"Sorry, Nara-sensei," they apologized.

* * *

><p>I opened the door to the apartment and Yumi put down the book she'd been reading. She gave me a beautiful smile as I plopped onto the couch beside her.<p>

"How was your day?" she asked.

"What a drag. One kid slept all day. And there was another one who would laugh at the kid next to him when the kid got the answer wrong. Then, that kid would yell back at the first. Why can't they just learn like they're supposed to?" She laughed as I sighed.

"Well, the sleeping kid sounds like a certain handsome shadow user." She nudged me with her foot. "And the other two remind me of Naruto and Sasuke. Don't tell me you've forgotten our Academy days so easily, Shika." I chuckled quietly.

"I haven't forgotten. But my future is more important than my past. Like making sure you and our baby have a good life."

"I love you, Shika," she told me, smiling.

"I love you, too. We need to be getting to the hospital." I got up and held out my hand to her. She took it and I helped her up. She put on some shoes and we were on our way.

* * *

><p>We opened the door to the exam room and saw that Sakura was already there.<p>

"Hey, you two! How are you?" Yumi returned her smile.

"We're great!" she replied. I nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's get started." Yumi laid on the table and exposed her abdomen.

"Should my stomach be this big already?" Yumi asked.

"Let's get the ultrasound going so we can check it out," Sakura replied. I watched as she prepped the wand and put it on Yumi's stomach. She moved it for a while and then gasped. "No way!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Yumi and I asked together. I took Yumi's hand. Sakura looked at us and beamed.

"You're having twins! That's why your stomach seems larger than it should!" she explained excitedly. Yumi stared at her wide-eyed.

"T-twins?" Yumi asked quietly. Sakura nodded. "Oh, wow…"

"You okay, Yumi?" I asked. She only nodded and squeezed my hand.

"Congratulations!" Sakura said. We finished with the check-up and thanked Sakura. Yumi was quiet the entire time we were leaving the hospital.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. She stared at the ground with a worried look, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach.

"One baby is one thing. Two is a whole different story when it comes to money. Are we going to be able to afford two babies? We don't even have a big enough apartment for one!" she replied. I stopped and made her look at me.

"Everything is going to be fine. We'll get a bigger place. It's not a problem. You and these babies will be taken care of. I swear that on my laugh," I promised she smiled.

"I'm not worried about me. Just the babies. I can't believe we're having twins!" she said. We kissed and then went home.

* * *

><p>A couple of months passed and, although she was only five months along, Yumi looked like she was about to pop. It amazed me how her small frame was able to hold that much weight. Her back was sore most of the time, but she still kept up her daily life. She would train Kimi and Hiro even though she wasn't able to demonstrate like usual. She visited Aiko and Airi Ichiraku so they could see her stomach. We found a bigger apartment with two bedrooms. It was the day of the move and I heard a knock on the door. I was in bedroom packing while Yumi was in the kitchen.<p>

"I've got it," I heard her call. I walked out into the living room just as she opened the door. Out in the hallway of our apartment building stood Yumi's parents, my parents, both of our teams, Shiro, Hinata, Naruto, Tenten, Neji, Kouhei, Kiba, Shino, Kimi, and Hiro.

"Hey, everyone. What are you all doing here?" I asked as I stood next to Yumi.

"You guys are moving today so we came to help," Shiro said with a grin.

"Yumi can't really carry anything heavy so we figured that you could use some assistance," Kouhei added. Yumi smiled.

"Thank you all so much! I was already feeling bad because Shika would have had to do all the work," Yumi exclaimed. I saw tears well up in her eyes. It reminded me that the over-emotional part of her pregnancy would be one thing that I wouldn't miss. Sometimes she would get so angry that she wouldn't speak to me over little things. I shook my head and pulled Yumi to me, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She sniffled and smiled at everyone.

"This really is a big help, everyone. Thanks. Come on in," I said.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Shika, can you help me get this pan out of the cabinet?" Yumi called. I had been working on setting up the twins' room so I hurried out to the kitchen and she turned to me. I was stunned. Even though her stomach was large enough that she could barely reach the counter or stove, she was still trying to cook. I handed her the pan and then kissed her.<p>

"You're amazing, you know that?" I said with a chuckle. She looked up at me.

"Why do you say that?" she asked, walking to the fridge.

"Seven and a half months pregnant with twins and you're still cooking for us. People are going to think I'm a bad husband," I joked. "What are you making anyway?" She pulled a fish out of the fridge and beamed at me.

"Mackerel cooked with miso, your favorite!" she said cheerfully.

* * *

><p>We were sitting down to eat when there was a knock on the door. I opened the door to see a genin messenger breathing heavily with a frightened look on his face.<p>

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Please come to the gate! It's Naruto!" he exclaimed. I looked back to Yumi. She smiled but I could see the worry in her eyes.

"Go ahead," she told me. I turned back to the genin.

"I'll go on ahead. Take her, too," I said to him. He nodded and I took off running.

* * *

><p>I got to the gate and was shocked at what I saw. Naruto was lying on his back, surrounded by medics. Hinata was kneeling next to him, holding his hand while silent tears rolled down her face. As I knelt beside Hinata, my eyes widened. Naruto was really beaten up. His left eye was swollen shut, his blonde hair was almost completely soaked with blood, his left arm bent at an unnatural angle. I looked at the medics.<p>

"What happened?" I looked back to Naruto's blood-soaked jacket.

"We don't know. He came through the gate and then fell to the ground, unconscious. So far, he has a concussion, three broken ribs, a broken arm, a partially collapsed lung, and internal bleeding," one said.

"We need to transport him, but we can't until the others bring the stretcher," another said. As the medic finished speaking, Naruto coughed, blood trickling out of his mouth. His eyes opened and focused on me.

"They have…Kouhei," he wheezed. "Save…him. Get…my brother…back." His eyes then moved to Hinata. "Don't…cry. I'll be…fine. Love…you…Hinata." He smiled and then lost consciousness again. I heard footsteps so I turned. A couple of medic ninjas ran up to us with the stretcher. They loaded him onto it and when I turned around, they were carrying the stretcher past Yumi and the genin. Her hand was over her mouth and I could see the tears on her cheeks. She walked over to Hinata and me and hugged her best friend.

"H-he said they have K-Kouhei," Hinata told her, knowing how close he and Yumi were.

"They'll both be okay," was all she said.

* * *

><p>I stood in front of Lady Tsunade with Neji, my dad, Kiba, Shino, and Kakashi. The room was silent as we waited for our orders.<p>

"Naruto has regained consciousness and told us where he and Kouhei located the men that did this to him. They are rouge ninja and they have a compound in the Land of Waves. They capture shinobi and torture them until their minds completely break and then sell them into slavery to rich lords all over the world. There are many smaller factions that capture shinobi from certain villages. Shikamaru and Neji encountered one of this factions in a small village outside of Suna. The leader was full of himself and started to abduct anyone he wanted to. If Shikamaru, Kouhei, and Naruto hadn't gotten to him when they did, his superiors would've certainly taken care of him." She looked at all of us in turn. "I've gathered you, our best strategists and trackers, to infiltrate their compound and end this operation."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," we answered.

"This needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. Meet at the gate in one hour."

* * *

><p>I was packing for the mission when Yumi came into the bedroom.<p>

"You have to leave soon?" she asked. I nodded and finished putting stuff in my bag. I walked over to her and put my hand over hers that was resting on her protruding abdomen.

"We're going to go get Kouhei back and take care of these bastards once and for all. I sent both of our moms a message asking if they can take turns staying with you while I'm gone," I told her.

"Shika, I'll be fine on my own." I weaved my fingers through hers.

"I know, but I'll feel better if I know someone else is here." She sighed.

"Okay. Be careful, Shika. I love you," she said quietly. I gently caressed her cheek and gave her a soft kiss.

"I will." She walked me to the door and I crouched down in front of her belly.

"You two be good. Don't cause your mom any problems while I'm gone," I said with a smile. Yumi giggled and grabbed my hand, pressing it to her stomach. I felt something bump lightly against my hand and my smile widened.

"They like your voice," she said happily. I stood up and slid my hand to the back of her neck, pulling her towards me. I kissed her deeply.

"That makes me want to stay even more," I said softly, my smile still in place. She smiled back, but it was sad.

"Go. Before I make you stay," she said with a humorless laugh. I kissed her again. "Be safe."

"Always am. I love you."

"I love you, too." I gave her hand a squeeze as I walked out the door.

* * *

><p>We were camped for the night and I was sitting against a tree, twisting my wedding band around my finger. My dad sat down next to me and I looked up.<p>

"You all right, son?" he asked. I sighed.

"I'm worried about Yumi. This is the worst time for me to be away," I said quietly. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Your mother and Kiko will take good care of her." I sighed again.

"I know. I just can't help but be worried."

"This is similar to when your mother was pregnant with you." I gave him a questioning look. "I was gone on a mission while your mother was pregnant. Granted, the mission wasn't this risky, she wasn't having twins, and she wasn't as far along, but I was worried sick about her the whole time. But I got home and a while after that, I had a perfectly healthy son. Everything will be just fine," he told me.

"Thanks, Dad." He patted me on the back and stood up.

"Get some sleep." I nodded and decided to follow my dad's advice.

* * *

><p>After our arrival in the Land of Waves, we set up a base camp that we would operate from. My dad and Kakashi split us into groups to go gather information. Neji and I, Kiba and Shino, and then my dad and Kakashi were paired together. We covered different parts of the village that was near the location we were given. Many of the villagers we talked to said they'd never heard of such a group. There were a few who gave us some info. We med back up at our camp and discussed what we had found out.<p>

"Kakashi and I found out that some people have seen the shinobi in the village before and after they'd been taken. Apparently, they noticed the big difference in them afterwards," my dad explained. "Their base is somewhere in the mountains. The best course of action would be to assimilate ourselves into society here. Once people are comfortable with us, we may be able to get more information. We will all go by different names of course. And we will have separate lives. The villagers can't know that we know each other aside from who we were with earlier. Are all of you prepared for this?" We all nodded. "Good. Let's get started."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note-Hello, Readers! I'm back with a brand spanking new chapter. This is a big chapter so I hope you're all prepared! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Naruto**_** or any of its characters. Only my OCs and my plot.**

Chapter 15 *One month later*

"Why has he been gone so long?" I asked sadly. My mother stared at me sympathetically. Eight and a half months pregnant and all I could think about was how my husband was away on a mission.

"He'll be home before the babies are born, I'm sure of it," Mom told me. I sat down next to her and she hugged me. I felt tears in my eyes as I gently rubbed my belly.

"What if he isn't? I don't want him to miss this," I said as I started to cry. I wasn't only upset because he might miss the birth of our children. I just missed him. Even though I always had my mom or Yoshino with me, I was lonely. I just wanted him to hold me. One of my comforts while he'd been gone was that his side of the futon still smelled like him. But even that was starting to fade. I knew that it was selfish, but I just wanted him to come home. There was a knock on the door and Mom released me so she could answer it.

"Hello, Yoshino," she said with a smile as she opened the door. I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Good evening, Kiko," Yoshino answered with a smile of her own. Mom invited her in and they talked a bit before my mom got ready to go home.

"Try not to worry too much. You don't need the stress. I love you, Sweetie," she said and kissed my forehead.

"Love you, too, Mom." She smiled and headed home.

"Are you hungry, Yumi?" Yoshino asked.

"Sure. Thanks," I said as I tried to smile. She saw right through me.

"What's the matter?" she asked, hand on her hips. I sighed and looked at the floor.

"I miss Shikamaru," I admitted quietly. She sat down next to me and smiled gently. Which shocked me.

"I understand. When I was pregnant with Shikamaru, Shikaku was on a mission. Some of the circumstances are different, but I know how you feel. I missed Shikaku terribly. But everything will be okay." When she finished, she pulled me into a hug. "Now, how about some dinner?"

* * *

><p>My due date was fast approaching and Shika still want home. I was beginning to think that he really wouldn't make it. The twins were due in a couple of days and there hadn't been any word about the guys. Mom was cleaning in the kitchen and I knew Yoshino would be over soon to take her place. I heaved myself off the couch and walked to the twins' room, linking my hands under my massive belly. As I leaned in the doorway, the memory of when Shika put the cribs together came back to me.<p>

*Flashback*

_Shika was sitting on the floor in the twins' room, staring intently at the assembly instructions for the cribs._

_ "How's it going?" I asked as I stared at the crib pieces scattered around him. He looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back brightly as he got up and walked to me._

_ "Great. Just have to start putting them together," he answered. He slid him hand around the back of my neck and pulled me to him, out lips meeting in a soft, loving kiss. My heart fluttered happily as the intensity of the kiss increased. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and I pulled away._

*End Flashback*

I was yanked out of the memory by a sharp pain in my abdomen. I turned and started to walk back to the living room. Another sharp pain hit and I couldn't help but cry out. My mother rushed to me.

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly. I felt something inside me release and I knew what was happening.

"No, no, no! This can't happen yet!" I cried.

"Yumi, you need to stay calm and tell me what's going on," my mother said firmly.

"My water just broke," I explained.

"Oh, Kami!" she exclaimed. She ushered me towards the door and when she opened it, Yoshino and Hinata stood on the other side. "The babies are coming now!" my mom told them.

"Oh, my!" Yoshino said. They hurried me out the door and to the hospital.

* * *

><p>I was laying in the hospital, breathing the way I'd been taught. My mom and Hinata stood on either side of me, holding my hands while Yoshino dabbed at my forehead with a wet cloth. At one point, Ino rushed in excitedly.<p>

"Yumi, I've just gotten word that Shikamaru and the others are close to being home! I'm going to go meet them and I'll try to get Shikamaru here as quick as I can," she told me.

"Oh, Kami! Thank you, Ino!" I cried. She hurried out of the room and Tsunade took her place. She checked to see how far I was dilated.

"Just a little bit longer, Yumi. Then, we can bring these two into the world," she said. She smiled and headed out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Yumi, you have to start pushing now!" Tsunade said. I shook my head.<p>

"I can't not until Shikamaru gets here! He has to be here!" I replied as tears ran down my face.

"You have to start pushing or you could harm the babies. Now push!" she insisted. I screamed as I started to push and squeezed my mom and Hinata's hands tightly. The door flew open and Shika stood there, breathing heavily. He rushed to my side and too my hand from Hinata while she and our mothers were rushed from the room.

"You…made it," I said, smiling through my tears. Before he could reply, Tsunade told me to push again and I screamed again and crushed Shika's hand.

"Of course I made it. I wouldn't miss this for the world," he answered. He kissed the back of my hand. "You're doing great. Just keep going," he encouraged. It wasn't long before a baby's cry filled the room. I saw Tsunade hand the baby to Sakura and I relaxed. There was no energy left in my body.

"Keep pushing!" Tsunade exclaimed.

"I …can't," I said tiredly. Shika cupped my cheek and looked into my eyes.

"You have to keep going. I know you can do this. Bring our other baby into the world," he pleaded. I nodded and started to push again. My screams filled the room as Shika kept whispering encouraging words into my ear. I heard crying once again and I knew it was done. My body felt like jelly as I relaxed into the bed.

"They're both okay?" I asked. Shika smiled and pushed some sweat-dampened hair off of my forehead.

"Both of them are fine. You did great. I'm so proud of you," he said as he kissed me. I smiled up at him tiredly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Shika." Tsunade and Sakura came back, each with a blanket-wrapped bundle.

"Congratulations!" Tsunade said. "A little boy and a little girl." Sakura smiled down at the baby in her arms.

"During the last ultrasound, it looked like this little guy was going to come out second, but he just had to be first." She handed him to Shika and Tsunade handed my daughter to me. I smiled down at the sleeping baby in my arms. She already had thick, black hair. Tears of joy overflowed from my eyes. I looked up at Shika and laughed at the amazement on his face as he looked at our little boy.

"My son," he said softly.

"Let me see him," I laughed. Sakura brought Shika a chair and he took a seat. I looked down at my little boy. Thin, red hair covered his head. "He looks like you, Shika."

"Aside from that trademark red hair," he replied with a smile. He looked over at our daughter and his smile widened. "She's beautiful. Like her mom." I felt myself blush. Shika chuckled when I yawned. At that moment, Tsunade and Sakura brought in two of the hospital's cribs. I yawned again as the two women left.

"Have you thought about any names yet?" I asked. He shrugged. We sat for a while and discussed names.

"What about Shikio?" he asked. I smiled.

"I love it," I answered. "I was thinking Yumiyo."

"Sounds good," he replied. I was looking down at Shikio when he suddenly opened his eyes. Familiar brown eyes looked back at me.

"He has your eyes, Shika," I said as happy tears filled my eyes. Shika looked down and chuckled.

"So he does." Shika watched me as I yawned once again. He placed Shikio in one of the cribs. He then took Yumiyo from me. "You need to rest. Get some sleep," he told me. I smiled up at him.

"Ok. I love you."

"I love you, too. Now get some rest."


End file.
